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Concrete, Fibers, Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity, Modeling, Artificial Neural Network

The application of fibers to concrete industry is growing due to the demanding needs of concrete with better structural performance. Environmental considerations urge this application since many of the fiber types (especially natural ones) results as by products from different industrial and agricultural processes. In this study, the application of metallic steel fibers and natural (Linen) fibers in concrete industry is investigated. Twenty one mixes are made with different mix proportions and with different types of fibers. The mixes were designed first to give strengths in the range from 150 to 450 Kg/cm2, without fiber inclusion. The two types of fibers are added to each of the basic control mixes. Standard specimens in forms of cubes and cylinders were cast from each mix. The specimens were tested in compression, tension and impact. Measurements were also made using two NDT techniques. The specimens were tested at ages of 7 and 28 days and after exposure to elevated temperatures of 400 and 450„aC . The results were compared and showed the enhancement level obtained by including steel and natural fibers. Following this experimental effort, the Artificial Neural Network (ANN) technique was applied for predicting the performance of concrete with different mix proportions. The current paper introduced the (ANN) technique to investigate the effect of natural and steel fibers on the performance of concrete. The results of this study showed that the ANN method with less effort was very efficiently capable of simulating and predicting the performance of concrete with different mix proportions and different types of fibers.