Compression-Tension Strength of Reinforced and Fiber-Reinforced Concrete

The compressive strength of concrete can substantially decrease in relation to the uniaxial compressive strength by transverse tension and cracking. This holds true for plain and reinforced concrete. The question of the biaxial compression-tension strength of reinforced concrete has been examined over the past 40 years by numerous scientists. Their results, however, vary considerably and lead to contradictory conclusions. Accordingly, in national standards, very different calculation rules can be found on this subject, whereby the provided reductions differ up to a factor of 2 for the same application. Based on the authors' own experimental investigations and a critical review and classification of former test series that are regarded as trendsetting, a proposal for the reduction of the compressive strength of cracked reinforced concrete is developed. For the first time, the influence of fibers in addition to bar reinforcement is also considered.