A comparative study of low cyclic loading effects on plastic strain, nonlinear damping, and strength softening in fiber-reinforced recycled aggregate concrete

The incorporation of fibers significantly enhances the properties and structural performance of recycled aggregate concrete . This study introduces Fiber-Reinforced Recycled Aggregate Concrete (FRAC) by integrating steel fibers (SF) and polypropylene fibers (PPF) into the recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) matrix. A comprehensive series of cyclic loading tests, including reload and unload sequences, were conducted to meticulously analyze the deterioration of strength and energy dissipation capabilities of SF/PPF-reinforced RAC. The research examines the effects of fiber characteristics, volume ratios, lengths, and diameters on strength degradation after the peak stress along the stress-strain curve. Degradation models based on plastic strain were proposed for both SF-reinforced RAC and PPF-reinforced RAC. The study further investigates the fluctuation of strain energy in FRAC under low cyclic loading, revealing the correlation between plastic strain energy and equivalent viscous damping ratio. A nonlinear viscous damping model that accounts for the influence of the reinforcing index ( RI ) is proposed. This model effectively predicts the degradation of strength, the evolution of plastic strain, and the dynamics of nonlinear viscous damping in composite materials with varying fiber content. Ultimately, this research provides essential technical insights for the practical engineering application of RAC. • Proposed plastic strain model for FRAC under cyclic loading. • Developed hysteresis damping model for FRAC in cyclic loading conditions. • Quantified the relationship between plastic strain, damping, and strength softening.