ABSTRACT
Steel fibre mortar and concrete are composite materials made with introduction of steel fibres into cement-based materials within certain percentage of fibre. Steel fibre mortar and concrete had improved properties when compared to plain mortar or concrete. In this work; three types of fibres namely - Circular Steel fibres (CSF), Rectangular Steel Fibres (RSF) and Steel Shaving Steel Fibres (CHSF) were investigated as composite materials. The following percentage were used in the mix - one - half percent, one percent, one and half percent and two percentage volume dosage rate of each steel fibre with a control mix (without fibre). Various tests like slump, compacting factor, flexural strength, compressive strength and beam deflections were performed on the samples produced to determine the mechanical properties of these composites. It was observed that, one and half percentage of fibre in concrete is a critical percentage, the compressive strength, flexural strength were improved in mortar specimens and the compressive, tensile and flexural strength were also improved in concrete for Circular Steel fibres (CSF) and Rectangular Steel Fibres (RSF) while Steel Shaving Steel Fibres (CHSF) had a decrease as the fibre volume increased above one and half percentage. Workability, (slump and compacting factor) decrease with an increase in steel fibre percentage. Relationships were also established between compressive strength of mortar and concrete and spit tensile and flexural strength of steel fibre mortar and concrete specimens.