Mechanical characterization of self-compacting steel fiber reinforced concrete using digital image correlation

•Mechanical characterization of self-compacting steel fiber reinforced concrete.•Evaluation of mechanical properties implementing digital image correlation.•Modulus of elasticity obtained form an inverse analysis using Timoshenko beam model.•Critical stress intensity factor for mode I calculated from four-point bending test. This paper evaluates the mechanical properties, modulus of elasticity (E) and critical stress intensity factor (KIC), of self–compacting concrete with the addition of hook-ended steel fibers, implementing Digital Image Correlation (DIC) to obtain the horizontal and vertical displacement fields for beams under four-point bending test. Based on the vertical displacements and the crack mouth opening displacement, the values of E and KIC were obtained from an inverse analysis using Timoshenko beam and the fracture model proposed by Griffith-Irwin. The results obtained allowed to conclude that DIC is a valid and efficient alternative for the characterization of materials.