STEEL FIBER REINFORCED CONCRETE DURABILITY USING ELECTRICAL RESISTIVITY TEST

Resumo

Fiber reinforced concrete (FRC) is increasingly present in civil construction, and has often been used in floors and structures which are high mechanical strength and great capacity for energy absorption. Several studies approach FRC in terms of behavior, studies that consider one of  possibilities of the scores are scarce. The electrical resistivity test, in turn, represents an alternative to the destructive tests to evaluate pathologies and longevity of concrete, considering that during its execution material under study is preserved. For this reason, cylindrical specimens of both FRC and reference concrete were molded, then evaluated by the electric resistivity and diametric compression. The ages of 7, 14, 21 and 28 days were studied to evaluate mechanical and electrical properties. Water absorption test was also performed to determine the porosity and specific mass of composites. From analysis and discussion of results it was observed that electrical resistivity for fiber reinforced specimens is much smaller when compared to conventional composite. That way, it is suggested that electrical resistivity test is not most adequate to evaluate durability of concrete reinforced with steel fibers, in view of which reinforcing material is conductive.