A systematic review of material innovations and integrated performance in fiber reinforced concrete

Fiber-reinforced concrete (FRC) has evolved from a conventional crack-control material into a multifunctional cementitious composite with increasing relevance to structural performance, durability, sustainability, and advanced construction technologies. However, existing evidence remains fragmented across fiber types, mixture parameters, exposure conditions, and application scales, making it difficult to establish transferable performance trends. This study presents a systematic, PRISMA-based review of FRC research, synthesizing 119 selected studies published within the defined review period. The review critically examines fiber characteristics, fresh- and hardened-state behavior, mechanical performance, durability, sustainability, and emerging technological developments, with particular emphasis on hybrid, recycled, natural, nano-modified, self-sensing, and additively manufactured FRC systems. The evidence indicates that fiber incorporation most consistently enhances tensile-related behavior, flexural toughness, crack control, post-cracking resistance, ductility, and energy absorption, whereas compressive-strength improvements are comparatively variable and strongly dependent on mixture composition and testing conditions. Hybrid fiber systems provide complementary multi-scale crack-bridging mechanisms, but their effectiveness is governed by fiber proportion, geometry, orientation, dispersion, and workability. Durability benefits are primarily associated with crack-width control and reduced transport pathways, although long-term performance remains dependent on fiber stability, exposure conditions, and testing protocols. Recycled and natural fibers offer opportunities for resource efficiency and circular construction, but their environmental benefits require performance-based life-cycle assessment considering processing, durability, maintenance, and end-of-life pathways. Emerging systems, including nano-modified FRC, UHPC/UHPFRC, geopolymer FRC, self-sensing composites, and 3D-printed FRC, expand the functional potential of fiber reinforcement while introducing challenges related to rheology, anisotropy, interfacial behavior, and structural-scale validation. Overall, the review identifies the need for standardized performance indicators, long-term multi-exposure studies, structural-scale validation, harmonized design procedures, and physics-informed data-driven modelling to support reliable and sustainable implementation of FRC in next-generation infrastructure.