Mechanical behaviour of basalt fibre reinforced concrete

• Published in: Construction & building materials Vol. 124; pp. 878 - 886
• Main Authors: Branston, John, Das, Sreekanta, Kenno, Sara Y., Taylor, Craig
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 15.10.2016; Elsevier B.V
• Subjects: Analysis; Basalt; Basalt fibre; Basalt fibre reinforced concrete; Impact strength; Mechanical properties; Minibar; Post-cracking behaviour; Reinforced concrete; United States; Post-cracking behaviour; Basalt fibre; Basalt fibre reinforced concrete; Impact strength; Minibar
• ISSN: 0950-0618; 1879-0526
• DOI: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2016.08.009

•Mechanical behaviour of BFRC was evaluated by flexural and impact testing.•BFRC was made of (1) basalt bundled fibres and (2) basalt minibars.•Both BFRC increased pre-cracking strength; had little effect under impact loading.•Minibars significantly enhanced post-cracking behaviour but bundled fibres did not.•Bundled fibres failed by rupturing, whereas the minibars failed by pulling out. Chopped basalt fibre has recently gained popularity in concrete reinforcing applications due to its environmentally friendly manufacturing process and excellent mechanical properties. The aim of this research is to evaluate the relative merit of two types of basalt fibre (bundle dispersion fibres and minibars) in enhancing the mechanical behaviour of concrete. Concrete specimens were cast with three different quantities of each fibre, then evaluated based on flexural and drop-weight impact testing. Interfacial properties were also investigated by scanning electron microscopy. The results indicated both types of fibre increased pre-cracking strength, but only minibars enhanced the post-cracking behaviour, likely due to protection from the polymer.