Mechanical Properties of High-Performance Concrete with Steel Fibers Oriented by an Electromagnetic Field

Abstract

In order to achieve better efficiency of dispersed fiber reinforcement in cementitious composites, manufacturers need to be able to directly control the fiber orientation. The magnetic orientation of fibers is an effective way to align fibers in the desired direction of the main tensile stresses and significantly improve the load-bearing capacity of the composite material. In this study, cementitious composites with different percentages of fiber reinforcement were subjected to the magnetic fiber-orienting process and their resulting mechanical parameters were examined. Also, a nondestructive method was used to evaluate the fiber orientation and volume. The flexural strengths and the capacity to dissipate mechanical energy were improved considerably compared to the reference nonoriented specimens. The nondestructive method was also reasonably accurate to predict these results.