Numerical Modelling of Steel Fibre Reinforced Concrete Subjected to Fatigue Loading

Concrete dominates the construction industry because of its strength, durability, and versatility; however, it is weak when loaded in tension and thus susceptible to the formation of cracks when under tensile stresses. Steel Fibre Reinforced Concrete (SFRC) improves post-cracking behaviour through enhanced tensile strength, toughness, and crack control, offering increased resistance to fatigue damage. Despite extensive experimental research on SFRC, the fatigue behaviour of pre-cracked SFRC remains insufficiently explored, particularly from a numerical modelling perspective. This study investigates the monotonic behaviour and fatigue behaviour of pre-cracked SFRC using finite element analysis (FEA) in the commercial software using ABAQUS incorporating Concrete Damage Plasticity (CDP) model. Material characterisation tests were conducted to determine the parameters required for the constitutive formulations, while experimental fatigue data from Fataar (2022) were used for validation. The SFRC material was classified as 5d in accordance with fib Model Code 2010, fib Model Code 2020, and EN 1992-1-1: 2023 Annex L. Numerical modelling was conducted, beginning with single-element tensile analyses to evaluate stiffness response, damage initiation, and post-cracking behaviour. For the material parameters, constitutive assumptions, and numerical settings adopted in this study, the results indicate that the fib Model Code 2010 and fib Model Code 2020 constitutive laws are capable adequately of reproducing the tensile behaviour of SFRC within the CDP model, whereas the Annex L formulation tends to underestimate peak tensile stress and residual capacity. Monotonic flexural simulations further suggest that, under the same modelling assumptions, the fib Model Code 2010 and fib Model Code 2020 formulations provide a reasonable representation of the experimental load-Crack Mouth Opening Displacement (CMOD) response. Based on these findings and within the scope of the present study, the fib Model Code 2010 constitutive law was selected for subsequent fatigue analyses due to its comparatively stable numerical performance and more gradual representation of tensile damage evolution. Fatigue simulations of pre-cracked SFRC revealed that the employed damage evolution law overestimates the rate of damage accumulation compared to experimental observations by Fataar (2022), indicating limitations in current constitutive formulations for cyclic loading. The study highlights the need for fatigue-specific damage models and provides a foundation for future numerical developments aimed at improving fatigue life prediction of SFRC structures.

Grantor dc:publisher

Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University

Year dc:date.issued

2026

Author dc:creator

• Mapfumo, Johnson Tatenda

Advisors dc:contributor.advisor

• Fataar, Humaira
• Van Zijl, Gideon

Language dc:language.iso

en

Repository record dc:identifier.uri

https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/136261

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/136261