Title
Post-damage flexural self-strengthening response of iron-based shape memory alloy fiber-reinforced concrete: Experimental and numerical investigation
Authors
[ 1 ] Instytut Budownictwa, Wydział Inżynierii Lądowej i Transportu, Politechnika Poznańska | [ P ] employee
Scientific discipline (Law 2.0)
Year of publication
2026
Published in
Article type
scientific article
Publication language
english
Keywords
Abstract
EN Fiber reinforced concrete (FRC) incorporating iron-based shape memory alloy (Fe–SMA) fibers was assessed as a post-damage strengthening method by thermally activating the fibers’ shape memory effect. An experimental program tested concrete prisms with randomly dispersed Fe–SMA fibers (baseline), steel fibers (derivate), and plain concrete (reference) under three-point bending in two stages: Phase I (pre-damage to 90% of load-bearing capacity, then unloading) followed by thermal treatment at either ambient temperature or 160 °C, and Phase II (reloading to failure). Image analysis quantified crack-width changes between phases. For steel-fiber specimens at ambient temperature, Phase II average peak load decreased by 18.65% relative to Phase I; after 160 °C treatment, the decrease was 43.03%, reflecting temperature-induced degradation of concrete. Fe–SMA specimens at ambient showed a 17.88% decrease, whereas specimens heated to 160 °C exhibited a 15.93% increase in flexural strength due to thermally activated recovery stresses. Image analysis indicated an average 25.95% crack-width increase in heated steel-fiber specimens due to thermal expansion, but only 10.88% in heated Fe–SMA specimens, suggesting partial restraint of crack widening despite no full crack closing. A numerical model for concrete with randomly dispersed Fe–SMA fibers reproduced the experimental responses with acceptable agreement. In summary, thermally activated Fe–SMA short fibers provide an effective method to strengthen and retrofit damaged concrete by enhancing flexural strength.
Date of online publication
06.01.2026
Pages (from - to)
121819-1 - 121819-19
Ministry points / journal
140
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