Assessment of constitutive model for ultra-high performance fiber reinforced cement composites using the Barcelona test

Abstract

The characterization of the post-cracking behavior of fiber reinforced cement composites (FRCC) represents a great challenge given the intrinsic scatter of the material and the need to use testing methods that are reliable and representative of the real-scale structure. The Barcelona test emerged as an alternative to other traditional testing methods that exhibit significant scatter and that are complex in terms of execution. Recently, a constitutive model analytically derived from the Barcelona test was developed and validated for conventional FRCC. The Barcelona test and the constitutive model combined provide a powerful tool for the design of this type of structures. Nevertheless, the applicability of this model to reproduce high and ultra-high performance FRCCs was not verified yet. The present study aims to validate the model by simulating the Barcelona test through finite element analysis and comparing the results with the experimental data obtained from steel and glass fibers mixes. In addition, the constitutive model derived of the Barcelona test is compared to the one included in the Model Code 2010, which is obtained through flexural tests of beams.