Blast resistant concrete using

steel fibres
Associate Professor Ir. Dr. Mohammed Alias Yusof
 Fibre reinforced concrete
• The introduction of fibres was brought in as a solution to
improve its tensile strength (Balaguru and Nalahari,
1992).
• The concept of using fibres in a brittle matrix was first
recorded in 1500 B.C with the ancient Egyptians who
used hair from animals and straw as reinforcement for
mud bricks and walls in housing (Balaguru and Nalahari,
1992).
 Fibers in concrete
• There is a wide range
of fibres such as
steel, glass, and
polypropylene are
used in cement.
Properties of fibres
 Steel Fibre

• Balaguru and Shah (1992), have reported that the

modern developments of using steel fibres began in the
early 1960’s.
• Since then there are various types of steel fibres that
have been developed which boost steel fibre reinforced
concrete research works.
• A variety of steel fibre shapes are available such as
straight, deformed, hooked end, and flattened end.
Types of steel fibers
 Shape of steel fibres
• Tadepalli et al., (2009), stated that the most effective
shape for energy absorption capacity is hooked end
fibres.
• Hooked end steel fibres have normally been collated
into bundles to facilitate the handling and mixing. During
the mixing the bundle will be separated into individual
bundles.
• The common length of the steel fibre used in the cement
matrices is in between 6 mm to 80 mm and the minimum
tensile strength is 345 MPa (ACI 544, 1999).
 Steel Fibre Reinforced Concrete

• Steel fibre reinforced

concrete is a composite
material made of
hydraulic cements, fine
and coarse aggregate,
and also dispersion of
discontinuous steel fibres.
The mechanical
properties of steel fibre
reinforced concrete are
influenced by type of fibre
and length of fibre (ACI
544, 1993).
 Failure mode of SFRC
• The failure mode of the concrete containing steel fibres
was different from the failure of the concrete with no
fibres.
• Instead of a sudden brittle failure the steel fibre
reinforced concrete developed initial cracks, but then
sustained additional load as the randomly oriented fibres
crossing the crack resisted the propagation of cracks
and separation of the section (Tadepalli et al., 2009).
 Bridging action of steel fibres
• Steel fibres act much more efficiently as a crack
bridging mechanism, by virtue of their strength,
stiffness and shape. The bridging mechanism
provided by the fibres is very important, because
it prevents the catastrophic failure of concrete
and also contributes significantly to the ductility
and redundancy of this material
Bridging action of steel fibres
 Mix Design for Steel Fiber
Reinforced Concrete (SFRC)

• Mix design of steel fibre reinforced

concrete is made by making certain
adjustments to the normal strength
concrete mix design.
• Mix design is based on the “Design of
Normal Mixes” which is also known as
DOE method, published by the British
Department of Environment in the year
1975.
 Mixing and Specimen Preparation for Steel Fibre
Reinforced Concrete Mix

• The first method

points out that fibre
can be added last into
the fresh concrete
mix,
• while the second
method indicates that
fibres are mixed with
the aggregates before
the addition of water
into the mixer
 Fresh Properties of Steel Fibre
Reinforced Concrete (SFRC)

• The fresh properties of the steel fibre reinforced

concrete are influenced by the aspect ratio fibre
geometry, volume of the fibres and also the
bond characteristics of the mix.
• Aspect ratio is referring to the ratio of fibre length
(L) against the diameter (L/d) as shown . (ACI
544, 1996).
 Steel fibre reinforced concrete
slump
• Steel fibre reinforced concrete
slump requirement is different
from the conventional
concrete.
• AC1 544 (1993),
recommended mechanical
vibration method such as vebe
consistometer to be used to
assess the workability of the
mix rather than the use of
conventional slump cone.
These apparatus is shown in
the next figure..
 Hardened Properties of Steel Fibre Reinforced
Concrete (SFRC)

Compressive Strength

• Bentur and Mindess, (1990) stated

that the compressive strength
increases up to 25 % when steel
fibre added in the concrete mix.
 Hardened Properties of Steel Fibre Reinforced
Concrete (SFRC

• Flexural strength
• Steel fibres are more
efficient in increasing
flexural strength of
concrete. The flexural
strength can increase
up to 80%.
Hardened Properties of Steel Fibre Reinforced
Concrete (SFRC)

• Tensile strength
• Gopalaratnam and
Shah (1986), found
that the addition of
steel fibres in
concrete enhanced
the tensile strength of
steel fibre.
Application of steel fibers in
blast resistant concrete
 Terrorist attack on building

• Terrorist attack on building and

infrastructure is a problem.
Terrorist attack is highlighted by
recent tragedies in Mumbai
(2008), London (2005), Madrid
(2004), Bali (2002) and New
York (2001), which illustrates the

The World Trade Centre global and current nature of

(T.Wilkinson 2006)
problem. (Andras et.al, 2008).
• Concrete is one of the most
widely used construction material
for structures.

• One of the disadvantages of

concrete it have a very low
resistance againts blast loading
and will badly damaged when
subjected to blast loading.

Damaged to building due to

terrorist attack
 Characteristic of Blast Loading

When explosive materials

detonated, blast wave began
propagate upward until reach to
a peak value in a positive phase.

Then the pressure will continue

drop below ambient air in a
negative phase duration.

This is as shown in the pressure

time profile.

Pressure Time Profile

Source : T. Ngo et. al
 Types of Blast Loading

Internal Blast Air Blast

 Research Objective

To investigate the behaviour of steel

fibre reinforced concrete subjected
to air blast loading.
 Experimental Program

• A total of eight numbers of concrete panels were

fabricated which consist of NRC panels as the control
and also SFRC panels containing volume of hooked-
end steel fibres of 1.5% volume were tested using
charge weight of 1 kg explosive at a standoff
distance of 0.6 meter to determine their response to
air blast loading.

• After each test, the failure mode of the specimen was

recorded and examined.
 Materials

• Ordinary Portland Cement = 357 kg/m3

• Water = 160 kg/m3

• Aggregate = 997 kg/m3

• Sand = 534 kg/m3

• Steel fiber = 1.5% volume fraction.

 Steel Fibers

Hooked end steel fiber

Length = 60 mm

Tensile strength = 1100Mpa

 Mixing Method
• The mixing of the materials was done in a specific sequence
• The sand and aggregates were initially dry mixed for 2 minutes.
• Then, ordinary Portland cement was added follow by water and mixed for a
period of approximately 5 minutes.
• After this, fibres were added in small amount into the wet mix to avoid
fibre balling.
• The mixture was then mix for another 10 minutes to ensure all the fibres
were disperse randomly throughout the concrete and having a good
workability.
Flow Chart for mixing of Steel Fiber
Concrete
 Preparation of specimen
• The freshly mix steel fibre
reinforced concrete was placed
150mm × 150mm × 150mm cube
and 150mm × 300mm cylinder
concrete specimen for a
compressive strength test and a
split tensile test and also into a
100mm ×100mm ×500 mm beam
mould for a flexure strength test.
 Casting of Concrete Test Panel
• Finally the NRC and SFRC were
poured separately into the panel
mould of 600 mm × 600 mm ×
100 mm.

The NRC and SFRC panels

were later removed from the
mould after consolidation and
cured with wet gunny sacks for 28
days before the field blast test.
Concrete Test Panel Dimension
 Testing of Fresh Properties of Concrete
• Using Vebe consistometer
apparatus which is followed the
ASTM C 995 test method for
fiber reinforced concrete.
• The workability was measured by
measuring the time taken for the
concrete to collapse in the mould
under the action of vibration.
 Testing of Hardened Properties of
Concrete
• Compressive strength was conducted
on cubes of size 150 x 150 x 150 mm
according to ASTM C39 standard to
obtain the 28 days compressive
strength of concrete.

• Flexural strength of concrete was

obtained by testing 100 x 100 x
500mm size test specimens under
four point bending test based on the
procedures as stated in ASTM
C1018.
• Split tensile test was conducted
according to ASTM C496 by
subjecting the 150 x 300 mm
concrete cylinders to a compressive
load along two opposite generators.
 Test Result for NRC and SFRC at 28
Days
Average Strength NRC SFRC
(MPa)

Compressive 31 38.5

Flexural 3.5 6.0

Split Tensile 3.0 4.5

 Field Blast Test Set Up
• Test concrete panel was fixed to
the steel support frame.

• The explosive was suspended in

mid air at 600mm stand-off
distance towards the panel.
 Blast Testing Events Captured using
High Speed Camera

a) Scene before the b) Explosion creates fire c) shock waves and d) Projectile shoot up and
blast test , explosive is Ball and shock wave fire expanded rapidly follow by dark smoke
suspended on the air
with a stand off
distance
 Field Blast Test Result on the Concrete
Panels

NRC NRC front face NRC back face

(Before Blast Test) (After Blast Test) (After Blast Test)

SFRC SFRC front face SFRC back face

(Before Blast Test) (After Blast Test) (After Blast Test)
 Field Blast Test Result

Specimen Type Main observation Damage

mode

Fracture failure, severe damaged

Normal Reinforce both front and back
Severe
Concrete (NRC) fragmentation from back because
NRC has low ductility
No cracks and damaged at front
Steel Fibre face and only damaged at back
No
Reinforced Concrete face, intact, no fragmentation
damaged
(SFRC) because of the bridging effect of
steel fibers
Bridging Effect of steel fiber

Steel Fiber bridging cracks

 Conclusion

• Field blast tests have been conducted on the normal

fiber reinforced concrete panel (NRC) and also steel
fibre reinforced concrete (SFRC) panel .
• The experimental result indicates that incorporation
of steel fibres in concrete has significantly improved
the blast resistance of concrete as compared to normal
(NRC).
•THANK YOU