Experimental evaluation of tensile strength test methods for steel fibre-reinforced concrete

This study presents an experimental evaluation of three different methods for determining the tensile strength of steel fibre reinforced concrete (SFRC). The test methods include the splitting test (ST), double punch test (DPT) and direct tensile test (DTT). The compressive strength of the concrete used in this study ranged between 30 and 80 MPa with 0%, 1·5% and 3% steel fibre by volume of the concrete. In total, 81 concrete cylinders were cast and tested for 28-d compressive strength, splitting tensile strength and double punch tensile strength of the concrete. In addition, 27 concrete prism specimens were cast and tested to determine the direct tensile strength of the concrete. The test results show that, compared to the ST, the DPT is more effective in predicting the tensile strength of SFRC, as the tensile strengths obtained from the DPT and the direct tensile test are very close. The DPT is easier to perform and costs less than the ST and the DTT.