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ASTM Proposes Concrete Reinforcement Standard

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2023

At the end of last month, ASTM International announced that it is developing a proposed standard that will be used to help measure the tensile strength of fiber-reinforced concrete.

The standard, which is being developed by the Concrete and Concrete Aggregates Committee (C09), will reportedly give the engineering community the data and confidence needed to evaluate the performance of fibers.

ASTM International member Luke Pinkerton reports that the use of fiber reinforcement as an alternative to conventional reinforcement of various concrete structures has been limited in the construction industry.

“The tensile strength is the most basic and important property of concrete that fibers can improve,” said Pinkerton. “Structural engineers need a reliable way to measure that value to be able to take advantage of fibers for design.”

According to the release, the effort directly relates to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #9 on industry, innovation and infrastructure.

“Typically, tensile capacity of concrete is ignored when designed with reinforced concrete,” said Pinkerton. “Being able to measure tension accurately would give engineers the confidence to use the tensile strength rather than ignore it. Concrete with fiber reinforcement is stronger, less brittle, more durable, and resilient.”

The scope of the “New Practice for Direct Tension Testing of Fiber Reinforced Concrete” currently focuses on three key points:

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  • This practice evaluates the direct tension performance of fiber-reinforced concrete using parameters derived from the load-displacement curve, which is obtained by testing a tensile coupon under direct tension loading using a closed-loop, servo-controlled testing system. This practice provides for the determination of a load-versus-displacement curve. The results may be normalized based on the number of fibers in the broken specimen cross section;
  • The values stated in either SI units or inch-pound units are to be regarded separately as standard. The values stated in each system may not be exact equivalents; therefore, each system shall be used independently of the other. Combining values from the two systems may result in nonconformance with the practice; and
  • This practice does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

The draft standard also notes that there is currently no ASTM standard to measure this fundamental property of fiber-reinforced concrete, and tension can only be determined indirectly through flexural testing.

ASTM further explains that a direct testing method is needed to give the engineering community the data and confidence needed to evaluate performance of fibers. Additionally, the Committee adds that direct tension testing methods are under development in other countries by competing standards organizations, and the development of a direct tension method will help maintain ASTM as a leader in the field.

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The title and scope are in draft form and are under development within the ASTM Committee. The full proposed standard can be found here.

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Tagged categories: ASTM; Building materials; Certifications and standards; concrete; Program/Project Management; Testing + Evaluation

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