Pullout modelling of viscoelastic synthetic fibres for cementitious composites

The problem of the pullout of a viscoelastic synthetic fibre embedded in a cementitious matrix and subjected to an external time-dependent axial load is considered in the present work. A 1D phenomenological model able to simulate the contribution of viscoelastic relaxation as well as the hardening behavior due to abrasion phenomena during slippage is developed. The cement matrix compliance is neglected with respect to the fibre elongation. The interfacial shear stress between the fibre and the surrounding matrix is assumed to depend on the slippage distance through a second degree polynomial law, thus involving three constitutive parameters. Two distinct phases are recognized: An earlier debonding stage followed by the effective fibre pullout process. Two different creep functions have been assumed for modelling the viscous response of polymeric fibres: A function based on the fraction-exponential Rabotnov operator and a classical exponential model. Identification of the governing constitutive parameters allows obtaining the relation between the external strain and the axial displacement, which has been compared with experimental results provided by pullout tests both on plain and treated fibres, finding a good agreement. It is shown that the proposed approach can predict the whole pullout process of discrete synthetic macrofibres.