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Design of Fibre-Reinforced Concrete Structures

Article in IPSI Transactions on Internet Research · January 2024

DOI: 10.58245/[Link].2401.09

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 Design of Fibre-Reinforced Concrete
Structures
Šakić, Bogdan


Abstract: Different types of concrete are invented the length and diameter. Development of
in the past years, in order to improve it`s behaviour plastificators enhanced the use of FRC, by
for different loading and environmental situations. facilitating workability of such a mixture. The
Among them, fibre reinforced concrete (FRC) is
one of the most recently developed concrete types.
main advantage of FRC in comparison to plain
Design procedures for the FRC elements are concrete, represent its residual tensile strength,
included in only a few existing code provisions. as shown in Figure 1 [5]. Therefore, FRC is often
Among them, fib Model Code 2010 (MC 2010) used for the construction of the prefabricated
provides the biggest amount of necessary tunnel segments, as these elements are under
information and recommendations in order to pure compression during the exploitation, but can
design FRC elements. Yet, a lack of the guidelines
for the design of elements loaded with different
exhibit flexural tensile stresses during the storage
combinations of bending moment and axial force and transport. Moreover, FRC is employed for
is noticed in the existing code provisions. the construction of pavements, reservoirs, roofs,
Therefore, in the scope of this paper, interaction facades, etc.
curves for FRC are developed. The interaction
curves are developed for both, ultimate limit state
(ULS) and serviceability limit state (SLS).
Furthermore, example of the use of such
interaction curves is given. Comparison in the
design of reservoir made of reinforced concrete
(RC) and FRC is performed. It is shown that the
use of FRC especial benefits design according to
SLS, as FRC provides better behaviour regarding
crack spacing and crack width of element, while
developed interaction curves for SLS significantly
decrease the time necessary for such a design.

Index Terms: FRC, fibre, interaction curve, fib

Model Code 2010, reservoir design
Figure 1. Comparison of RC and FRC in tension

1. INTRODUCTION

C ONCRETE is the second most consumed

material in the world, after water [1]. Hence,
necessity for improving the different properties of
2. PROBLEM STATEMENT
The biggest progress in the understanding of
the mechanical and post-peak behaviour of FRC
concrete led to the development of various
is made in the last 20 years. This is followed by
concrete types, such as Recycled Aggregate
the expansion in the use of FRC in the
Concrete (RAC), Self Compacting Concrete
(SCC), Fibre Reinforced Concrete (FRC), etc. construction practice. Yet, design procedure of
Use of the fibres in order to improve the concrete FRC elements is implemented in only few of the
existing code provisions. In such a provisions,
properties dates back to the ancient times [2]. In
the modern times, the first use of FRC is related description of FRC under flexural bending,
compression, tension, shear and different loading
to the second half of the 19th century. After the
combinations is given. Nevertheless, significant
series of the conducted tests in the 20th century
[3,4], FRC is patented as a construction material. lack is noticed in the design of the elements
under combined axial force and bending moment
FRC is defined as a mixture of concrete matrix
and fibre. Fibre can be made of different (alternative direction), as no interaction curves
materials, such as steel, glass, carbon, are provided. Therefore, the investigation of this
article is headed in the direction of the
polypropylene etc, and can significantly vary in
development of the interaction curves of FRC,
according to the constitutive relationships from fib

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Model Code 2010 [6]. Derived interaction curves small or large eccentricity. In the case of large
are used in order to design reservoir and to eccentricity, neutral axis is in the cross-section,
compare such a design with the usual reinforced hence part of the cross-section is under
concrete. Structural analysis of reservoir is compressive, while other part under tensile
performed in Autodesk Robot software [7], and stresses. Cross-section analysis of FRC in the
the data are then used as an input for the case of large eccentricity is shown in Figure 4. It
developed interaction curves for FRC. is assumed that compressive strain in the most
compressed fibre reached the limit of 3.5 ‰ [6].
As the limiting value of the crack width is 2.5 mm,
3. THE BEST EXISTING SOLUTIONS
maximal tensile strain is equal to the minimum of
Mechanical behaviour and cross-section two cases: εc1 = min {20 ‰ ; wu/lcs), where lcs is
design of FRC elements is given in a few existing the characteristic length and it is equal to the
code provisions, such as RILEM TC 162-TDF [8]; depth of the tensile part of the cross-section [6].
EHE – 08 [9]; CNR-DT [10]. The latest regulation
that includes the analysis of FRC is fib Model
Code (MC 2010) [6]. In the MC 2010, detailed
cross-section analysis of FRC elements is given.
Analysis of the cross-section according to the MC
2010 of FRC is given in Figure 2.

Figure 4. FRC cross-section in the area of large

eccentricity

Figure 2. Cross-section analysis of FRC Once the cross-section is in the area of small
eccentricity and it is completely compressed due
The main difference in comparison to to the combination of the bending moment and
reinforced concrete is the residual tensile axial force, strains in the concrete are in the
strength for serviceability limit state ffts and range from 2 do 3.5 ‰ (Figure 5). Usually, in this
ultimate limit state fftu. These parameters situation cross-section is simmetrically reinforced.
represent the contribution of the fibre on the
behaviour of FRC under tensile regime. Values of
these parameters can be calculated using
Equations:
𝑓 = 0.45 ∗ 𝑓 (1)

𝑓 = 𝑓 − ∗ (𝑓 − 0.5 ∗ 𝑓 +
0.2 ∗ 𝑓 ) (2)

Where fR1 and fR3 represent residual tensile

strength at 0.5 and 2.5 mm of crack mouth
opening displacement (CMOD) according to the
Figure 5. FRC cross-section loaded with bending
test procedure and wu represent the value of moment and compressive force (fully compressed
CMOD (Figure 3). section)

If the cross-section is in the area of small

eccentricity and it is loaded by bending moment
and axial tensile force, three different cases for
the ULS analysis can be distinguished : i) Tensile
flexural strain is equal to 20 ‰, while axial tensile
strain is equal to 10 ‰ (Figure 6); ii) Tensile
Figure 3. Tensile stresses in FRC fibre as a function flexural strain is between 10 and 20 ‰, while
of the crack width axial tensile strain is equal to 10 ‰ (Figure 7); iii)
Both tensile flexural strain and axial tensile strain
Under combined bending moment and axial are lower than 10 ‰, due to the limitation of the
force, FRC cross-section can be in the range of crack width in FRC (Figure 8) [6].

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 both, serviceability and ultimate limit states (SLS
and ULS), hence the complete design of FRC
cross-section can be performed using them. ULS
interaction curves are derived by assuming either
the compressive failure of FRC, or tensile failure
of reinforcement or FRC. SLS interaction curves
are derived in the similar manner, but limiting the
stress in the concrete to 60 percent of the
characteristic value (fck) and assuming linear
analysis[6]. Therefore, maximal compressive
Figure 6. FRC cross-section loaded with bending strain of FRC in SLS analysis is:
moment and axial force (flexural strain is 20 ‰, while
axial tensile strain is 10 ‰)
𝜀 = 0.6 ∗ (3)

5. CONDITIONS OF THE ANALYSIS TO FOLLOW

Once the cross-section is loaded by the
combination of bending moment and axial force,
it is necessary to calculate the equilibrium
equations for every possible state of strains. In
order to optimize the calculations, interaction
curves are made. Interaction curves are used
Figure 7. FRC cross-section loaded with bending once the dimension of the cross-section are
moment and axial force (flexural strain is between 10 known, or once the ratio of height / width of the
and 20 ‰, while axial tensile strain is 10 ‰) cross-section is known. Furthermore, for RC,
interaction curves are used in order to adopt the
necessary amount of the reinforcement, in order
that ULS analysis is satisfied. For FRC, beside
above mentioned parameters of the cross-
section, residual tensile strength fR1 and fR3 of
FRC are an input parameter. The other option is
that for the adopted characteristics of the cross-
section and adopted reinforcement, values of the
residual tensile strength of FRC are varied in
order to satisfy the limit states. Hence, by using
Figure 8. FRC cross-section loaded with bending the interaction curves, it is possible to design the
moment and axial force (flexural and tensile strain are cross-section for all the possible combinations of
lower than 10 ‰) bending moment and axial force. In such a
manner, calculation time for the design of FRC
For all mentioned situations, unknown values cross-section is highly reduced. Use of the
of some combination of axial force and bending proposed stress–strain relationships and cross-
moment can be calculated by writing the section analysis from MC 2010 allows to design
equilibrum equation of the axial forces and the cross section for both, ULS and SLS. Once
bending moment around the tensile the cross-section parameters, amount of the
reinforcement. reinforcement, concrete grade and fibre
parameters are known, it is possible to calculate
4. THE PROPOSED SOLUTION axial capacity (Ned) and bending moment
capacity (Med) of the cross-section. As
In this paper, the existing constitutive laws for mentioned, this is done by writing the equilibrium
FRC reported in fib MC 2010 [6] and described in equations of normal force and bending moment.
Chapter 3 are used in order to analyse the This procedure is necessary to conduct for the
behaviour of FRC. Furthermore, cross-section sufficient number of strain pairs at the top and
analysis and stress-strain relationships from MC bottom edge of the cross-section, in order to
2010 are used in order to derive the interaction construct the interaction curves with satisfying
curves. In order to develop the interaction curves, accuracy.
situations in which neutral axis is in the cross-
section or outside of the cross-section, are
analyzed (small and large eccentricity of the axial 6. DETAILS OF THE PROPOSED SOLUTION
force). The interaction curves are developed for

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6.1 Interaction curves for ULS reinforcement / cross-section area. It is important
to mention that such a derived group of
In order to construct the interaction curves with interaction curves is valid only for the adopted
satisfying accuracy, the minimum is to include all dimensions of the cross-section, adopted
the strain pairs, which represent the limiting parameters of FRC and reinforcement and fibres.
values between the different states of the cross- In order to create interaction curves independent
section, described in Chapter 3. The limiting from the cross-section dimensions and material
strain pairs for the different state of the cross- parameters, dimensionless coefficients are
section are shown in Table 1. introduced:
𝜇 = (4)
∗ ∗
Lower Upper
Cross-section state strain strain
pair limit pair limit 𝜈 = (5)
∗ ∗
(εc,1 / εc,2) (εc,1 / εc,2)
1.) Small eccentricity Nrd and Mrd are axial and bending capacity of the
= =
and tensile force cross-section, b is the section width, h is the
εud / εud εud / 0
(εc,1 / εc,2) (εc,1 / εc,2) section height, and fcd is the designed
2.) Large eccentricity compressive strength of FRC. Curves designed
= =
and pure bending
εud / 0 εud / εcu2 using dimensionless parameters from Equations
(εc,1 / εc,2) (εs1 / εc,2) 4 and 5, are called the interaction curves for
3.) Large eccentricity
= = FRC. They are independent from mechanical
and pure bending
εud / εcu2 εyd / εcu2 characteristics of FRC, dimensions of the cross-
(εs1 / εc,2) (εc,1 / εc,2) section. Interaction curves are derived for
4.) Large eccentricity
= = different relationships of depth / height of the
and pure bending
εyd / εcu2 0 / εcu2 cross-section (d1/h), for symmetrically and
(εc,1 / εc,2) (εc,1 / εc,2) unsymmetrically reinforced cross-sections, for
5.) Small eccentricity
= = different reinforcements grades and different fibre
and compressive force
0 / εcu2 εc2 / εc2
properties. In such a manner, FRC interaction
Table 1. Limiting values of strains in FRC cross-section
curves can be constructed for the cross-sections
for different section states
without conventional reinforcement, by applying
the described procedure. Example of such a
Where, εud is the maximal strain in the derived interaction curve is shown in Figure 9.
reinforcement, εyd is the yielding strain of the
reinforcement, εc2 is the maximal compressive
strain of FRC of 3.5 ‰, εcu2 is the compressive
strain for the cross-section in pure compression
and is equal to 2 ‰. Furthermore, εc1, εc2 and εs1
are strains at the bottom and top edge of the
cross-section and in the reinforcement,
respectively. For each of the possible strain pairs,
one point in the Cartesian coordinate system is
created, with the pair values of Ned and Med.
Drawing the lines that connect all the calculated
points on the graph, interaction curve is created.
Such a created interaction curve represents a
Figure 9. ULS interaction curve for FRC
combined capacity of the cross-section. Hence,
the area limited by the curve and axis, represents 6.2 Interaction curves for SLS
the area of all the possible capacity states. If the
point which is defined by pair of Ned and Med is
In the same manner as described in Chapter
outside of such a defined area, failure of the
5.1, interaction curves for SLS can be
cross-section will occur. In such a situation, it is
derived[11]. Linear stress–strain relationship is
necessary to adopt either new dimensions of the
assumed, while the compressive stress in FRC
cross-section, amount of the reinforcement or
for SLS is limited to 60 % of characteristic
FRC parameters. Described procedure can be
compressive strength of FRC. Limiting tensile
repeated, but with different amount of the
strain in FRC is equal to:
reinforcement. Hence, a new curve is defined on
a graph. The same process can be repeated as 𝜀 = (6)
many times as necessary, in order to derive
group of the curves for different ratios of the Parameter wd represents maximal crack width,
and it depends from the type of FRC, exposure

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class, construction use etc. Range of the
parameter is between 0.15 and 0.3 mm, while full Different loading situations are taken into
description of the parameter is given in Table 7.6- account: i) Trial charging of the reservoir with
1 in MC 2010. Hence, in order to successfully water, during which there is no soil pressure
design FRC cross-section, pair of the values of (Figure 12a); ii) Phase of the exploitation – Soil
axial force and bending moment have to satisfy pressure and water combination (Figure 12b); iii)
both ULS and SLS, or, the point defined by those Phase of repair, in which there is only soil
two values have to be inside of the area defined pressure (Figure 12c). Loading during the phases
by both interaction curves. Example of SLS (i) and (iii) are shown in Figure 13a and Figure
interaction curve, for the same parameters used 13c, respectively. Values of bending moments
for ULS interaction curve in Figure 9, are shown are shown in Figure 13b for phase (i) and in
in Figure 10. By comparing these two Figures, it Figure 13d for phase (iii).
can be seen that SLS and limitation of the FRC
parameters to lower values significantly decrease
the area under the interaction curve and hence
significantly reduced the amount of possible
combinations of axial force and bending moment,
which will not lead to the failure of the cross- a) b) c)
section.
Figure 12. a) Phase (i) = Trial charging; b) Phase (ii)
= exploitation; c) Phase (iii) = Repair of reservoir

The calculations are made in Autodesk Robot

software [7]. For the clamped cross-section at the
wall bottom, external side of the value is under
tension in phase (i), while internal wall side is
under the tension in phase (iii). Axial force
reaction in the phase (i) is equal to 15 kN/m while
in the phase (iii) it is 43.8 kN/m.

Figure 10. SLS interaction curve for FRC

7. ANALYSIS

7.1 Comparison of FRC and RC on an example a) b) c) d)

of reservoir design Figure 13. a) Loading during the trial charging; b)
Bending moment during the trial charging; c) Loading
Example of the application of the interaction during the repair; d) Bending moment during the repair
curves for FRC and comparison of FRC and RC
is shown on an example of reservoir design. Calculated values of the bending moments and
Reservoir is made of the roof slab, supported by axial force are used to calculate reinforcement
the combination of the wall placed at the edges according to MC 2010 for RC. In the clamped
and columns, as shown in Figure 11, where all cross-section, reinforcement near the external
the necessary parameters are defined. edge is As2=19.59 cm2/m, and on the internal side
of the clamped cross-section As1=5.57 cm2/m,
acording to ULS analysis. Reinforcement is
calculated using Eurocode 2 [12] Equation:
As1 = 𝜔 ∗ 𝑏 ∗ 𝑑 ∗ − (7)

Calcuated crack – width for such adopted

cross-section is 0.51 mm which is significnatly
higher than allowed 0.15 mm. Hence, additional
reinforcement at the inner side of the cross
Figure 11. Geometrical and mechanical properties of section is adopted As1=11.05 cm2/m. For the
the designed reservoir design of FRC reservoir, FRC 30 3a is assumed.
Material parameters of FRC 30 3a are: fck=30

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MPa, fR1= 3 MPa, fR3=0.5*3=1.5 MPa. Using
previosly derived interaction curves, and From the Figure 15, it can be seen that FRC
assuming the reinforcement calculated for ULS of capacity satisfies SLS with adopted
RC ( As2=19.59 cm2/m; As1=5.57 cm2/m), design reinforcement of 5.57 cm2/m, while in RC it had to
of FRC using interaction curve is shown (Figure be increased to 11.05 cm2/m. Iteratively, using
14). Value of the bending moment is 1.35 * the interaction curve and successively increasing
118.83 = 160.5 kNm/m ; while axial force is 1.35 * the bending moment, it is derived that maximal
43.8 = 59.1 kN/m. The coefficient 1.35 is taken bending moment that FRC cross-section with
from Eurocode 1 [13] for dead load. adopted reinforcement can withstand is 56.5
kNm/m, while RC cross-section can withstand the
bending moment of 57 kNm/m, once the increase
reinforcement is used. Therefore, it can be
concluded that by using FRC, same capacity of
the cross-section is reached with 5.57 cm2/m of
reinforcement, as with 11.05 cm2/m of
reinforcement for RC.

8. CONCLUSION
Improvement of concrete behaviour under
tensile stresses led to the development of FRC.
FRC is a composite material made of concrete
matrix with the addition of fibre. It is characterized
by the residual tensile strength, which prevents
brittle failure of concrete and improves it`s tensile
Figure 14. Interaction curve of FRC for ULS with the behaviour. Few existing code provisions
marked pair of bending moment and axial force in the analyzed the behaviour of FRC and proposed
cross-section appropriate stress–strain relationships. Yet, lack
of the interaction curves for combined bending
The same procedure is done for the SLS. As moment and axial forces is noticed. Due to that,
previously described, for RC reinforcement had in the scope of the paper, interaction curves are
to be increase from 5.57 to 11.05 cm2/m, due to derived based on fib MC 2010 code provision.
the limitation of the crack width. As this Interaction curves are derived for ULS, but also
reinforcement is near the inner edge of the cross- for SLS, which represents significant novelty
when comparing to RC, for which no such
section, and no partial coefficients are used in
interaction curves are proposed. Therefore, by
SLS analysis, value of the bending moment is
using derived interaction curves for ULS and SLS
39.2 kNm/m, and appropriate axial force is 15
for the design of FRC cross–section, calculation
kN/m. By assuming crack width of 0.15 mm time is significantly reduced. Moreover, different
(maximal allowed), and using the procedure values, such as amount of reinforcement or fibre
described in Chapter 5.2, interaction curve is properties can be varied, in order to find
designed for the cross-section regarding SLS and optimized solution for the adopted cross–section.
it is shown in Figure 15. The pair of the bending Such designed interaction curves are used in
moment and the axial force is marked as an order to compare a design of concrete reservoir
orange dot. made of RC and FRC. This example shows the
benefit of both, FRC and interaction curves.
Using interaction curves, fast design of FRC
cross-section is done. Furthermore, bending
moment capacity of cross-section according to
SLS is derived, for the adopted parameters.
When comparing RC and FRC, it is noticed that
twice higher amount of the reinforcement at the
inner side of the clamped cross section is
necessary for RC in comparison to FRC in order
to satisfy SLS. Moreover, twice lower amount of
reinforcement in FRC provided the same bending
moment capacity as RC. Therefore, it can be
concluded that FRC is appropriate to use instead
of RC, once SLS represent the decisive
Figure 15. Interaction curve of FRC for SLS with the parameter for the design of the element,
marked pair of bending moment and axial force in the especially when limiting value of crack width is
cross-section hard to satisfy. In such a case, FRC should be

93
 used, while use of derived interaction curves for
FRC in case of SLS can represent significant
benefit in order to optimize the process.

REFERENCES
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[10] Advisory Committee on Technical
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For more details on semantics of your paper, see the

following:
V. Milutinovic, "The Best Method for Presentation of
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1997, pp. 1-6.
[Link]

Bogdan Šakić is Chair of Structural Analysis and Dynamics,

RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.
E-mail: sakic@[Link]

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