Sustainability analysis of steel fibre reinforced concrete flat slabs

Fibre reinforced concrete has been used in concrete structures without any additional reinforcement when the design is determined by transient load stages (e.g. precast segments for tunnels), in elements with favourable boundary conditions or structures subjected to low load levels (e.g. pavements or pipes). The material has been more recently applied as the primary reinforcement in elements subjected to higher load levels such as slabs. As a result of the experience gained in this type of application the American Concrete Institute (ACI) has published a report on the design and construction of steel fibre reinforced concrete (SFRC) elevated slabs. Despite these advances, in some cases fibres have not been used as primary reinforcement in concrete slabs due to economic reasons. However, in most cases the comparison of this solution with other alternatives such as traditional reinforcement has been made considering only direct material costs disregarding indirect costs, social and environmental factors. Considering the above, the aim of this study is to present a method to evaluate the sustainability of concrete slabs by means of the multi-criteria decision making approach for assessing sustainability MIVES.