Experimental and Finite Element Analysis of Steel Fiber Reinforced Geopolymer Concrete Beams under Flexural Loading

Author

Ram Gopal, Mr. Sachin Sharma

Abstract

 Steel Fiber Reinforced Geopolymer Concrete (SFRGC) has emerged as a sustainable construction material due to its superior mechanical properties and reduced environmental impact compared with conventional cement-based concrete. This study presents an experimental and finite element investigation of SFRGC beams subjected to flexural loading. Beam specimens were fabricated using geopolymer concrete reinforced with hooked-end steel fibers and tested under four-point bending to evaluate their structural performance. Key parameters, including load–deflection behavior, first crack load, ultimate load, flexural strength, and failure modes, were obtained through laboratory testing. A three-dimensional finite element model was developed in ANSYS to simulate the flexural response of the beams using appropriate material properties, boundary conditions, and loading configurations. The numerical results were validated against the experimental findings to assess the accuracy and reliability of the developed model. A close agreement was observed between the experimental and numerical results in terms of load-carrying capacity, deformation characteristics, and stress distribution. The finite element model successfully predicted the structural behavior of SFRGC beams and effectively captured the failure mechanism under flexural loading. The study demonstrates that combining experimental testing with finite element analysis provides a reliable approach for evaluating the structural performance of sustainable concrete members while reducing the need for extensive laboratory experimentation. The findings confirm the potential of SFRGC beams for sustainable structural applications and provide useful guidance for the design and optimization of advanced geopolymer concrete structures.

Keywords

Steel Fiber Reinforced Geopolymer Concrete (SFRGC), Finite Element Analysis (FEA), ANSYS, Flexural Behavior, Sustainable Concrete, Load–Deflection Response

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