Abstract:
Owing to their unique spatial geometry, stranded steel fibers can form multiple mechanical anchorage points within the cementitious matrix, thereby significantly improving the interfacial bonding performance. However, the influence of these fibers on the macroscopic mechanical behavior of the composite remains insufficiently clarified. Four-point bending tests were conducted to investigate the effects of different fiber types and volume fractions on the flexural response and crack evolution of hybrid fiber-reinforced cementitious composites. The results indicate that the stranded steel fibers substantially enhance the flexural load-carrying capacity and ductility of the composites. Compared with conventional hooked-end fibers, the stranded steel fibers increase the flexural strength by 22.7%-56.1% and improve the energy absorption capacity by 242.0%-655.6%. Based on the fiber-matrix interfacial bond-slip mechanism, a multi-scale damage constitutive model considering interfacial effects was developed, and its predictions showed excellent agreement with the experimental data.