Properties of a Steel-Fiber-Reinforced Cementitious Composite Stool with Digitally Distributed Steel-Fibers (2024-05)¶

This study aims to maximize the reinforcement of steel fibers in cementitious composite structural members. A 3D-printing stool was chosen as a case study. The orientation of the steel fibers is designed to be parallel to the direction of the tensile stress, and the volume fraction of steel fibers everywhere meets the tensile requirements, which is defined as digitally distributed steel fiber reinforced cementitious composite (DD-SFRC) stool. The DD-SFRC stool was prepared using magnetic field aligning and 3D-printing, to control the volume fraction and orientation of steel fibers in the stool. The results show that digitally distributed steel fibers reinforce the mechanical properties of the stool more effectively, in terms of ultimate load, energy absorption capacity, joint ductility, and the width of the crack, compared with that of the stool with random and aligned steel fiber distribution. The methodology of design and approach of preparation of DD-stool are presented, which are valid and applicable to other structures in either laboratory or practice.