Proceedings pro031 : International RILEM Workshop on Test and Design Methods for Steel Fibre Reinforced Concrete - Background and Experiences

Since the early seventies, steel fibres are used in concrete to improve its performances. Steel fibres have been proven, mainly by empirical observations, to improve significantly the behaviour of concrete beams and slabs in the serviceability limit state (SLS) by limiting the crack widths and by assuring a more favourable crack distribution.
Promising research results allow also the consideration of using steel fibre reinforced concrete (SFRC) in structural applications (ultimate limit state - ULS). However, the utilisation of SFRC for structural purposes is quite limited in Europe, mainly due to the lack of uniform National and European Building code requirements for this material.
To tackle the problems as mentioned above on an international basis, the RILEM Technical Committee TC 162-TDF (Test and Design Methods for Steel Fibre Reinforced Concrete) has been setup in April 1995. Most of the members were already active in standardisation with regard to SFRC in their own country.
The objectives of RILEM TC 162-TDF are:
§ to develop design methods to accurately evaluate the behaviour of SFRC in structural applications (both in SLS and ULS);
§ to make recommendations for appropriate test methods to characterise the (toughness) parameters that are essential in the design methods.

The work of the Technical Committee found its result in RILEM Recommendations published in Materials & Structures in 2000 and 2001. The RILEM Workshop in Bochum (20-21 March 2003) gave background information to these recommendations. Further applications and experiences were also presented and discussed during the workshop.

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