Nonlinear Inverse Analysis for Predicting the Tensile Properties of Strain-Softening and Strain-Hardening UHPFRC.

The tensile stress-strain response is considered to be the most important and fundamental mechanical property of ultra-high-performance fiber-reinforced concrete (UHPFRC). Nevertheless, it is still a challenging matter for researchers to determine the tensile properties of UHPFRC. As a simpler alternative to the direct tensile test, bending tests are widely performed to characterize the tensile behavior of UHPFRC, but require further consideration and a sophisticated inverse analysis procedure.

Cyclic Behavior of Reinforced High Strain-Hardening UHPC under Axial Tension.

The cyclic tensile behavior of steel-reinforced high strain-hardening ultrahigh-performance concrete (HSHUHPC) was investigated in this paper. In the experimental program, 12 HSHUHPC specimens concentrically placed in a single steel reinforcement under cyclic uniaxial tension were tested, accompanied by acoustic emission (AE) source locating technology, and 4 identical specimens under monotonic uniaxial tension were tested as references. The experimental variables mainly include the loading pattern, the diameter of the embedded steel rebar, and the level of target strain at each cycle.