ABSTRACT
The durability of Fibre Reinforced Concrete (FRC) and Shotcrete (FRS) in the uncracked state has been demonstrated to be superior to that of conventionally reinforced concrete even when steel fibres are used as reinforcement. However, the ability of FRC/FRS to resist corrosion and maintain residual load capacity once cracks have occurred is unclear. The present investigation was initiated to study the influence of exposure on residual toughness of FRS reinforced with either steel or macro-synthetic fibres in both coastal and inland environments. The results indicate that maximum crack width appears to control the rate of performance deterioration but that narrow cracks can undergo autogenous healing and present only minor durability concerns for steel FRS.
