Influence of basalt micro-fibres on the abrasion resistance of concrete in hydraulic structures

Abstract

In hydraulic structures, abrasion resistance can be a significant driver in concrete specification. Basalt micro-fibres represent a potentially sustainable construction product and have been shown to provide various benefits in concrete, however the implications for hydrodynamic abrasion resistance are to date unclear. This paper is the first investigation of its kind to examine the abrasion resistance of basalt fibre-reinforced (BFR) concretes using the ASTM C1138 underwater test method. Towards this, concretes incorporating fibre dosages of 0.5, 1, 1.5 and 3 kg/m3 were tested. The relationships between concrete abrasion and its fundamental mechanical properties are evaluated. For the particular concretes examined, it is found that based on the Shapiro-Wilks tests at 95% confidence, abrasion loss in BFR concretes followed a normal distribution; the use of basalt fibre in contents of up to 3 kg/m3 did not have a significant effect on abrasion resistance, compressive and tensile splitting strengths, as well as modulus of elasticity. It can be concluded that basalt micro-fibre can be used for their other attributes such as controlling bleeding, shrinkage and plastic cracking in concrete hydraulic structures without deleterious effects on abrasion resistance. The regression models proposed to predict concrete abrasion loss from its mechanical properties were found to be only significant at 48 h for compressive strength and 24 h for both tensile splitting strength and modulus of elasticity.

Experimental study and mechanism analysis on basic mechanical properties of basalt fiber reinforced concrete

“…Li et al 14 conducted an experimental study and concluded that basalt fibers would reduce the compressive strength, tensile strength and flexural strength of concrete, while the addition of alkali‐resistant basalt fibers had an improving effect on the compressive strength, tensile strength and flexural strength. Omoding et al 15 reported that the basalt fiber content up to 3 kg/m 3 had no significant effect on the compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, elastic modulus, and wear resistance of concrete. Li et al 16 concluded that the addition of basalt fibers increased the total porosity and pore volume of concrete but decreased the average pore size, suggesting that basalt fiber could refine the pore structure.…”