The Elastic Modulus of Steel Fiber Reinforced Concrete (SFRC) with Random Distribution of Aggregate and Fiber

The present paper offers a meso-scale numerical model to investigate the effects of random distribution of aggregate particles and steel fibers on the elastic modulus of Steel Fiber Reinforced Concrete (SFRC). Meso-scale model distinctively models coarse aggregate, cementitious mortar, and Interfacial Transition Zone (ITZ) between aggregate, mortar, and steel fibers with their respective material properties. The interfaces between fibers and mortar have been assumed perfectly bonded. Random sampling principle of Monte Carlo's simulation method has been used to generate the random size, orientation, and position of aggregate particles as well as steel fibers in concrete matrix. A total of 2100 two-dimensional and three-dimensional cube specimens (150 mm) with varying volume fractions of aggregate and fiber have been randomly generated. The commercial code ABAQUS has been used to analyze the specimens under tensile loading and the calculated elastic modulus has been compared to other analytical and experimental values. Results indicate that the non-homogeneity of the matrix and random distribution of aggregate and fibers manage to disperse calculated efficiency factor of fiber with a standard deviation of 2.5% to 3.0% (for 150 mm cube specimens, it can be different for other specimens). Nevertheless, the mean value of the calculated efficiency factor agrees well with the value, recommended by Hull (1981), for uniformly-distributed fibers, equal to 0.353, and 0.151 for two and three-dimensional models respectively.