EVALUATION OF NOVEL FIBRE REINFORCEMENT BY PUNCH TESTING - A FEASIBILITY STUDY

An evaluation of two innovative concrete reinforcement methodologies has been carried out. This study showed that a combination of polypropylene CoRe™ fibres and (resistance butt welded stainless steel) twisted closed loops, (with a threedimensional effect) provided the best energy absorption performance of all the systems examined. Furthermore, this feasibility study showed that concrete slabs reinforced using a combination of conventional rebar and CoRe™ polypropylene fibres lessened the risk of fragmentation and significantly improved energy absorption. In this paper two novel anchorage methods leading to improved structural integrity were investigated.