Optimization of hybrid reinforcement in precast concrete linings using numerical analysis

Concrete mixtures reinforced with a combination of steel rebar and fibers, i.e., Hybrid Reinforced Concretes (HRC), are frequently used in segmental precast tunnel linings. As massive cross-sections are usually adopted in these structures, only the minimum reinforcement is necessary to prevent the brittle failure. To study the brittle/ductile behavior of HRC tunnel segments in bending, the flexural responses of Lightly Reinforced Concrete (LRC) and that of Fiber-Reinforced Concrete (FRC) elements are modelled and combined herein. By means of this combination, the minimum reinforcement of HRC segments can be determined with a new design-by-testing procedure, in which the ductility index DI should be equal to zero. As a result, the minimum hybrid reinforcement can be defined through a linear combination of the minimum area of rebar and the minimum fiber volume fraction of LRC and FRC segments, respectively.