Flexural Response and Structural Efficiency of Hybrid Fiber-Reinforced Concrete Slabs

Abstract

Concrete remains the most widely used construction material globally; however, its intrinsic limitations—low tensile strength, brittle behavior, and susceptibility to microcracking—necessitate performance enhancement for demanding structural applications. Hybrid fiber-reinforced concrete (HFRC) offers a promising solution, yet the optimal balance of steel fibers (SF) and polypropylene fibers (PF) for structural elements such as slabs remains insufficiently understood. This study experimentally investigates the flexural behavior of 42 reinforced concrete slabs (21 one-way and 21 two-way) incorporating systematically varied SF–PF volumetric ratios, advancing current knowledge by identifying performance-optimal hybrid configurations for each slab type. One-way slabs were tested under four-point bending and two-way slabs under three-point bending, with structural responses evaluated in terms of load capacity, cracking behavior, deflection characteristics, and failure modes. The results demonstrate that fiber dosage does not proportionally enhance strength, as excessive content leads to fiber balling and reduced workability—highlighting the need for optimized hybrid proportions rather than indiscriminate addition. Quantitative findings confirm significant performance gains with properly tuned hybrid mixes. For one-way slabs, the optimal combination of 0.7% SF + 0.9% PF achieved 115% of the ultimate load of the control specimen, demonstrating a substantial improvement in flexural resistance. Two-way slabs exhibited even greater enhancements: first-crack load increased by up to 213%, and ultimate load improved by 40.36%, while deflection capacity rose by 44.81% at first crack and 39.80% at ultimate load with the optimal 0.9% SF + 0.1% PF mix. Comparatively, two-way slabs outperformed one-way slabs across all metrics, benefiting from multidirectional stress distribution that enabled more effective fiber engagement. Overall, this study provides new insight into hybrid fiber synergy in RC slabs and establishes quantified optimal SF–PF combinations that significantly enhance load capacity, ductility, and crack resistance for both one-way and two-way systems.