Effects of different types and dosages of fibres on the long–term behaviour of fibre–reinforced self–compacting concrete

Self–compacting fibre–reinforced concretes are nowadays used in several applications. The assessment of their performances under serviceability loads can be very complex, for instance when creep deformation in the cracked state are concerned. The behaviour of these elements under such conditions has been seldom investigated in the literature. The present work describes the results of an extensive experimental campaign aimed at studying long–term behaviour of cracked self–compacting fibre–reinforced concrete beams under serviceability loads. Four–point bending tests were carried out on notched beams containing different types and quantities of steel fibres or standard longitudinal reinforcement. The experimental results have shown the effectiveness of fibres in reducing the delayed crack opening and mid span opening under long–term loads.