A novel methodology for estimating damage evolution and energy dissipation for steel fiber reinforced concrete under flexural fatigue loading

• Published in: International journal of fatigue 2023-01, Vol.166, p.107244, Article 107244
• Main Authors: Moreira de Alencar Monteiro, Vitor, Carlos Taissum Cardoso, Daniel, de Andrade Silva, Flávio
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Damage evolution; Energy release; Fatigue; Fiber reinforced concrete; Mechanical degradation
• ISSN: 0142-1123; 1879-3452
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfatigue.2022.107244

•Positive influence on the fiber addition on fatigue life of the composite.•Three parameter Weibull distribution successfully allows to estimate fatigue life of pre-cracked SFRC.•New methodology verifies fatigue deterioration through bending tests and damage equations.•Two novel empirical correlations successfully estimated damage evolution and energy release rate. The present research proposes a novel methodology for estimating mechanical degradation for steel fiber reinforced concrete. An experimental campaign was carried out in order to characterize the fatigue response of the cementitious composite and to determine fatigue life using S-N curves based on Weibull distribution. Using the experimental results, two empirical correlations were proposed to estimate damage evolution and energy release growth rate as a function of the number of cycles. Both use the initial stiffness and the energy release of the studied material as an input, which are both evaluated as the flexural strength at 0.50 mm of crack mouth opening displacement.