Reactive Powder Concrete (RPC) is made of a very fine homogeneous and compact matrix with short steel fibres. Internal heterogeneities in the material induce heterogeneities of the mechanical characteristics. Elastic fields are disturbed by the presence of fibres. These fields within the matrix, such as load transfers, which operate between fibres and the surrounding matrix, depend not only on the mechanical characteristics of each component, but also on the local percentage of fibres and the local orientation of fibrous reinforcement. During preparation of RPC, the fibrous suspension is concentrated in solution. The result is a unique distribution of fibres by clusters within the structure. In this paper, we propose a study of the mechanical behaviour of RPC elements by use of a numerical approach that takes internal heterogeneities into account. Specific structural elements are tested under both tension and flexion. A comparison between the numerical approach and our experimental investigations confirms the influence of internal heterogeneities on mechanical behaviour. This study therefore is aimed at providing some indications of the role played by heterogeneities induced by the casting process and their potential use in optimising the mechanical behaviour of fibre-reinforced RPC.
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