A review of fiber optic-integrated technologies for ultra-high-performance cementitious composites with macro-synthetic fibers

The adoption of innovative monitoring technology is of greater importance than ever as infrastructure sustainability and safety take precedence. While ultra-high-performance cementitious composites (UHPCC) provide superior performance compared to normal-strength concrete (NSC) and high-performance concrete (HPC), their inherent brittleness may render them insufficient, making structures susceptible to abrupt breakdowns. Compounding this issue, conventional monitoring methods are frequently unable to deliver precise data, which results in a critical shortfall in the ability to assess structural integrity. Therefore, this review focuses on reinforcing UHPCC with macrosynthetic fibers as a potent strategy for a more resilient structural material and examines the practical implications of fiber-optic technology for structural monitoring. Studies have demonstrated that adding merely 1% macro-synthetic fibers can lead to a dramatic change in the flexural behavior that evolves from an over-reinforced compression mode to a pseudo-ductile flexural response, emphasizing the material