Two dimensional homogenized models of steel fiber reinforced concrete

The homogenization method is used to model steel fiber reinforced concrete SFRC by converting the random distribution of fibers to a periodic one. The periodic distribution is chosen to hold similar properties of the composite material in both perpendicular directions to represent an average approximation for the random distribution. The material is modeled as a composite with brittle matrix and elastic fibers. Two patterns of the unit cell are examined to establish the homogenized stiffiness matrix in elastic and plastic stages. A rigid plastic bonding is considered between matrix and fibers. The smeared crack model is used to represent the nonlinearity of concrete. The validity of the homogenized model is examined by comparing the numerical results with the experimental results. The results show good agreement with the experimental work when a suitable pattern of the unit cell is used.