Abstract:
Steel fiber recycled aggregate concrete (SFRAC) is a construction composite material that combines environmental friendliness with performance reliability. This paper adopted the orthogonal experimental design method to systematically investigate the evolution laws of splitting tensile strength in SFRAC under multi-factor combined effects, through the splitting tensile experiment on SFRAC cube specimens that was designed with three variables (specimen side lengths: 100 mm, 150 mm, 200 mm, and 300 mm; steel fiber volume fraction: 0, 0.25%, 0.50%, 0.75%, and 1.00%; loading strain rate: 10
−5 s
−1, 10
−4 s
−1, and 10
−3 s
−1). The results show that within the range of experimental variables: 1) Steel fibers exhibit a significant reinforcement effect on the splitting tensile strength of recycled aggregate concrete, as shown by an increase in strength with the increase of steel fiber volume fraction. When the steel fiber volume fraction increases from 0 to 1.00%, the strength can increase by 36.62% to 98.23%. However, an increase in specimen size or loading strain rate will weaken the reinforcement effect; 2) The splitting tensile strength of SFRAC demonstrates a pronounced size effect, manifested as a decrease in strength with increasing specimen size. When the specimen side length increases from 100 mm to 300 mm, the decrease in strength can reach 5.12% to 23.98%. Furthermore, an increase in steel fiber volume fraction will exacerbate the size effect; 3) The splitting tensile strength of SFRAC displays a significant strain rate effect, characterized by an increase in strength with higher loading strain rates. When the loading strain rate increases from 10
−5 s
−1 to 10
−3 s
−1, the strength can increase by 11.05% to 33.62%. Meanwhile, an increase in steel fiber volume fraction will diminish the strain rate effect.