Structural Performance of Steel Fibre Reinforced Lightweight Concrete Frames Subjected to Lateral Load

Abstract

Masonry infilled Reinforced Concrete (RC) framed structure is the utmost common kind of building in which, RC frames contribute in resisting lateral forces. Due to heavy mass and rigid construction, the RC framed buildings performs unfortunate under lateral forces. Practice of Lightweight concrete (LWC) is superlative because the dead load of concrete is massive. Low density materials are chosen in LWC, reduces the mass of the building thus decreasing the influence of lateral forces. However, LWC having a lesser modulus of elasticity has a more rapidly develops the cracks in the RC members. In this investigation, pumice is a naturally available material of volcanic source, has low density, which creates it ideal for production of LWC, likewise steel fibres are employed as an additive to enhance the energy absorption ability and to reduce the possibility of development of the cracks. In the present paper the structural behaviour of Lightweight RC framed structures realized by using steel fibres and subjected to lateral forces, In this study, four RC frames viz., F1-NWC (Control), F2- NWCF (with 1% Vf of steel fibres), F3-LWC (with 20% substitute of coarse aggregate instead of pumice aggregate) and F4-LWCF (with 20% substitute of coarse aggregate instead of pumice aggregate and 1% Vf of steel fibres) were casted and tested under in-plane horizontal loading, which are designed according to Indian Standard (IS) code IS 456 (2000). It was observed that the behaviour of F4-LWCF significantly better in comparison to other frames in various parameters such as load carrying capacity, displacement, ductility, stiffness and energy dissipation.