INFLUENCE OF STEEL FIBER VOLUME FRACTION ON THE COMPRESSIVE, TENSILE, AND FLEXURAL STRENGTH OF CONCRETE: A COMPREHENSIVE LITERATURE REVIEW

Abstract

Steel fiber reinforced concrete (SFRC) has emerged as an innovative engineering material with significant potential to enhance the mechanical performance of conventional concrete. This comprehensive literature review synthesizes peer-reviewed research on the influence of steel fiber volume fraction on the compressive, tensile, and flexural strength of concrete. Through systematic analysis of 25 peer-reviewed studies, this review evaluates how varying steel fiber volume fractions (0% to 3%) affect concrete's primary mechanical properties. The findings demonstrate that compressive strength exhibits non-linear responses with optimal fiber contents typically ranging from 1.0% to 1.5%, while tensile and flexural strengths show more consistent improvements with increasing fiber volume fractions, with gains reaching up to 228% and 180%, respectively. Fiber geometry, aspect ratio, and concrete grade significantly influence mechanical property development. This review identifies critical research gaps and proposes future directions for optimizing SFRC design parameters in structural applications.