Experimental analysis of R.C. beam strengthened with discrete glass fiber

The usage of discrete glass fiber with concrete provides enhancement the ductility and deformability. This study aims at understanding and evaluating shear behavior of discrete glass fiber concrete beams. This paper presents an experimental investigation carried out on reinforced concrete beams with discrete glass fiber mixed randomly with concrete, with 150x150mm cross section. The studied parameters included stirrups spacing (50, 75, and 100 mm) and weight percent of discrete glass fiber (0.0%, 0.75%, and 1.5%). Experimental results indicated that the shear strength of beams was significantly enhanced. Although, the number of cracks increased as a result of using discrete fiber, they became finer. Moreover, the crack propagation and its modes may be changed by using discrete fiber. The discrete glass fiber increases ductility and prevents sudden failure due to shear.