Precast plates made with lightweight fiber-reinforced concrete

The results of an experimental campaign, performed on plates in three point bending, are described and analysed in the present paper. The aim is to tailor, through tests on full-scale structures, a new lightweight cement-based composite having the same mechanical performances as reinforced concrete, but without the presence of steel rebar. Accordingly, with respect to a traditional plain concrete, aggregates made with expanded clay and polymeric fibers were used, respectively, to reduce the weight and increase the ductility. Moreover, the minimum amount of fibers is defined by means of the ductility criteria already adopted for the minimum reinforcement ratio in reinforced concrete beams. The proposed tailor-made concrete was used to rebuild the sidewalks of a bridge in the northern Italy.