ENHANCING UHPC PERFORMANCE THROUGH ENGINEERED SURFACE MORPHOLOGY OF STEEL FIBRES

Abstract

The addition of steel fibres to concrete helps to reduce its inherent brittleness while improving its mechanical properties. Concrete has a low tensile strength which can be improved by the addition of steel fibres. This increase in strength prevents the formation and propagation of cracks, thereby increasing the durability of the concrete. The addition of steel fibres also improves the impact and dynamic strength of concrete. As a result, they are often used in highly stressed structures such as tunnels, bridges, roads and industrial floors. The aim of this study was to determine the importance of the surface morphology of steel fibres in relation to concrete reinforcement, and in particular to investigate its effect on the production process of Ultra High Performance Concretes (UHPC). It was found that fibres with surface scratches exhibited increased adhesion and agglomeration, resulting in uneven distribution during the production of UHPC. The use of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) revealed that surface roughness causes agglomeration due to the formation of static electricity And subsequent attractive forces.