The influence of nanosilica and steel fibers on the tensile performance of lightweight structural concrete

The diminished strength of lightweight aggregates lowers the strength of lightweight concrete, and its brittleness hinders the ductile performance of structures under seismic stress. To counteract this reduced strength from using lightweight aggregates and prevent sudden failure, reinforcing materials and fibers can be employed to bolster lightweight concrete's strength. The effectiveness of these materials plays a crucial role in determining the behavior of structural components. Consequently,precise material behavior models are necessary for predicting structural component behavior in finite element computational analyses. This study explored the tensile properties of lightweight structural concrete reinforced with ۱: volume of steel fibers and nanosilica pozzolan at ۱: and ۳: weight percentages. It examinedfactors affecting tensile strength and strain corresponding to peak stress. The findings revealed that the combination of steel fibers and nanosilica greatly enhanced the tensile performance of lightweight concrete. The direct tensile strength of lightweight concrete increased by ۷۲% with the addition of ۳: nanosilica and ۱: steel fibers. Furthermore, in all specimens, the indirect tensile strength was slightly higher than the direct tensile strength.