The pull-out behavior of steel fibers embedded in concrete is a fundamental mechanism governing the post-cracking performance, toughness, and ductility of fiber-reinforced concrete (FRC). When cracks initiate and propagate, the bridging action provided by steel fibers transfers stresses across crack faces, enhancing energy absorption capacity and residual strength. Therefore, understanding ...

Reinforced concrete (RC) flat slabs are widely used in modern building construction due to their architectural flexibility, reduced story height, and simplified formwork. However, one of the most critical failure modes of flat slabs is punching shear, which occurs in the vicinity of slab–column connections. Punching failure is typically brittle ...