Effect of Material Non-Linearity on the Flexural Response of Fiber Reinforced Concrete

This paper demonstrates the use of a closed-form derivation of moment-curvature diagram and crack localization rules in simulating the flexural response of textile reinforced cement composites. Effect of non-linear material response obtained fiom uniaxial tension tests on the simulation of the flexural beam test results were studied in order to establish a rational approach to balance the discrepancy between experimental data. The study reveals that the material nonlinearity can be adequately addressed by modifying two intrinsic material parameters: the first cracking strain and initial tensile modulus. The direct use of uniaxial tension response to simulate flexural behavior underpredicted the response of textile cement composites. Modifications to the first cracking strain in the original tension model are recommended to yield better fit to the flexural experimental data.