Three-point bending tests of concrete notched beams with different sizes and contents of PVA fibers

Fiber-reinforced concrete (FRC) has been widely used in last decades to enhance strength, toughness, and ductility of concrete members. Synthetic fibers in FRC have become popular due to their effective- ness in providing post-cracking residual strength and inhibit the formation of micro-cracks. Further- more, they have better durability with respect to steel fibers. Among different synthetic fibers, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fibers have shown promising results. This paper presents the results of three-point bending (TPB) tests of notched FRC beams with different sizes and contents of PVA fibers (with different geometries). Results show that PVA fibers increase the concrete tensile strength, post-cracking residual strength, and toughness. The size effect associated with the presence of fibers is observed on the peak load but not on the post cracking maximum load.