Experimental Study on Fiber- Reinforced High-Strength Concrete for Airfield Rigid Pavements

Abstract

Airfield rigid pavements are subjected to extremely heavy aircraft wheel loads, high tire pressures, and repeated dynamic loading conditions. Conventional concrete pavements often suffer from cracking and fatigue failure under such severe loading conditions. This study investigates the performance of fiber reinforced high-strength concrete (FRHSC) for airfield rigid pavement applications. M50 grade high-strength concrete incorporating hooked-end steel fibers at different percentages (0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, and 1.5%) was experimentally evaluated. The mechanical properties such as compressive strength and flexural strength were determined at 7 and 28 days of curing. Results showed that the inclusion of steel fibers significantly improved the strength and ductility characteristics of concrete. The optimum fiber content was found to be 1.0%, which increased compressive strength by approximately 11% and flexural strength by about 16% compared to conventional concrete. The study concludes that fiber reinforced high-strength concrete can effectively improve the performance and durability of airfield rigid pavements

Introduction

This study investigates the use of hooked-end steel fibers in M50 grade high-strength concrete (HSC) to improve the performance of airfield rigid pavements, which are subjected to heavy aircraft loads, impact forces, and repeated fatigue stresses. Conventional concrete, although strong in compression, is brittle and prone to cracking under flexural loading. Incorporating steel fibers enhances ductility, crack resistance, toughness, and post-cracking performance.

The research aimed to develop M50 high-strength concrete suitable for airfield pavements, evaluate the effect of steel fibers on compressive and flexural strength, determine the optimum fiber content, and compare conventional and fiber-reinforced concrete. Materials used included OPC 43-grade cement, river sand, crushed granite aggregate, water, and hooked-end steel fibers. Concrete mixes were prepared with steel fiber contents of 0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, and 1.5% by weight of cement, and specimens were tested after curing.

Results showed that both compressive and flexural strengths increased with steel fiber addition up to 1.0%, after which a slight reduction occurred due to reduced workability and fiber clustering. The compressive strength increased from 50.78 MPa for conventional concrete to 56.58 MPa at 1.0% fiber content, representing an improvement of about 11%. Similarly, flexural strength increased from 7.25 MPa to 8.45 MPa, an improvement of about 16%.

The steel fibers improved crack control, stress redistribution, toughness, and ductility by bridging micro-cracks and delaying their propagation. Fiber-reinforced concrete exhibited gradual and ductile failure compared to the brittle failure of conventional concrete. Based on the experimental results, 1.0% steel fiber content was identified as the optimum dosage, providing the best balance of strength and performance.

The study concludes that fiber-reinforced high-strength concrete (FRHSC) is highly suitable for airfield pavements, offering enhanced strength, fatigue resistance, crack resistance, durability, and reduced maintenance requirements under heavy aircraft loading conditions.

Conclusion

Based on the experimental investigation conducted on M50 grade fiber reinforced high-strength concrete for airfield rigid pavement applications, the following conclusions were drawn in accordance with the objectives of the study: 1) M50 grade high-strength concrete suitable for airfield rigid pavement applications was successfully developed and tested under laboratory conditions. 2) The addition of hooked-end steel fibers significantly improved the compressive and flexural strength of high-strength concrete compared to conventional concrete. 3) The compressive strength increased from 50.78 MPa for conventional concrete to 56.58 MPa for concrete containing 1.0% steel fibers, showing an improvement of approximately 11%. 4) The flexural strength increased from 7.25 MPa for conventional concrete to 8.45 MPa at 1.0% steel fiber content, indicating an improvement of approximately 16%. 5) The optimum percentage of steel fiber addition was found to be 1.0%, which provided maximum improvement in strength and ductility characteristics. 6) Fiber reinforced concrete specimens exhibited better crack resistance, ductility, and post-cracking behavior compared to conventional concrete specimens, which showed brittle failure. 7) Beyond 1.0% steel fiber addition, workability and compaction difficulties increased due to fiber clustering, resulting in a slight reduction in strength. 8) The improved compressive strength, flexural strength, crack resistance, and ductility demonstrate that fiber reinforced high-strength concrete is suitable for airfield rigid pavement applications subjected to heavy wheel loads and repeated dynamic loading conditions.

References

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Copyright

Copyright © 2026 Mahammad Ayaan, Mohammed Hussain, Shrijith Rai , Akshaya Krishna N, Anusha Jain. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.