Numerical simulation of the punching shear behaviour of self-compacting fibre reinforced flat slabs

• In this work are presented the numerical simulations of the punching behaviour of fibre reinforced flat slabs.
• The numerical simulations were performed according to the Reissner–Mindlin theory under the FEM.
• The numerical results were able to accurately predict the experimental force–deflection relationship.
• The type of failure observed experimentally was also predicted in the numerical simulations.

This paper presents the numerical simulations of the punching behaviour of centrally loaded steel fibre reinforced self-compacting concrete (SFRSCC) flat slabs. Eight half scaled slabs reinforced with different content of hooked-end steel fibres (0, 60, 75 and 90 kg/m3) and concrete strengths of 50 and 70 MPa were tested and numerically modelled. Moreover, a total of 54 three-point bending tests were carried out to assess the post-cracking flexural tensile strength. All the slabs had a relatively high conventional flexural reinforcement in order to promote the occurrence of punching failure mode. Neither of the slabs had any type of specific shear reinforcement rather than the contribution of the steel fibres. The numerical simulations were performed according to the Reissner–Mindlin theory under the finite element method framework. Regarding the classic formulation of the Reissner–Mindlin theory, in order to simulate the progressive damage induced by cracking, the shell element is discretized into layers, being assumed a plane stress state in each layer. The numerical results are, then, compared with the experimental ones and it is possible to notice that they accurately predict the experimental force–deflection relationship. The type of failure observed experimentally was also predicted in the numerical simulations.