The effects of fibre on the mechanical properties of aerated concrete

Abstract

Aerated concrete (AC) is lightweight concrete in which air voids are captured in the mortar by means of the addition of an aerating agent to meet specific requirements of density and strength. Aerated concrete displays brittle failure in tension, however, and thus an alternative solution to make the concrete more ductile and reduce the problem of cracking is to add steel bars or steel fibre. The aim of this study is thus to investigate the effect of steel fibres on the compressive strength, flexural strength, stress-strain relationship, modulus of elasticity, density, sorptivity, and water absorption of aerated concrete with such fibres as compared to plain aerated concrete. End-hooked steel fibres with lengths of 35 mm and 60 mm with aspect ratios of 64 and 67 respectively were used in this study, with a volume friction (Vf) of 1.5%. The results showed that the effect of the aspect ratio (Lf/df) on flexural strength was most prominent, and that the compressive strength of the fibre reinforced aerated concrete (SFRAC) increased significantly and the density increased slightly, while the water absorption was decreased. The sorptivity of the SFRAC with short fibres was similar to that of standard AC, with this being increased slightly with the longer fibres. However, the stress-strain relationship in tension increased most significantly. Overall, 1.5% of steel fibre of 60 mm length provided the highest flexural strength at 28 days.

Optimizing of the Cementitious Composite Matrix by Addition of Steel Wool Fibers (Chopped) Based on Physical and Mechanical Analysis

“…The flexural ultimate strength for a thin-section beam was assessed with a third point loading (TPL) test [ 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ]. The constant displacement rate used in this experiment was 2 mm × min −1 .…”

“…Aldikheeli et al [ 12 ] investigated the effect of the inclusion of hooked-end steel fibers on the density of cement mortar using two diameters and lengths. It was reported that the dry densities of the composites exceeded that of their conventional counterpart, increasing to ~5.4% at a concentration of steel fibers of 1.5%.…”

Experimental Investigation of Effect of Fiber Length on Mechanical, Wear, and Morphological Behavior of Silane-Treated Pineapple Leaf Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composites

“…Short fiber length (i.e., 5 mm) in composite samples resulted in higher flexural strength which primary control the microcrack propagation [73]. Furthermore, short fibers also increase the number of fibers which bind closely in the composite samples and therefore increase the flexural strength [74]. Flexural strength corresponding to 10-15 mm fiber length in the polyester composites is lesser compared that of 20 mm fiber length specimens.…”

“…Fibers 2022, 10, x FOR PEER REVIEW 8 of 16 [74]. Flexural strength corresponding to 10-15 mm fiber length in the polyester composites is lesser compared that of 20 mm fiber length specimens.…”

Shear Strength of Hybrid Fibre-Reinforced Ternary Blend Geopolymer Concrete Beams under Flexure

“…A lot of research has been performed to explore the effect of fibres on the mechanical properties of concrete [15][16][17]. Naaman and Reinhardt [18] reported that adding a little fraction of short Torex fibres, which are engineered to achieve optimal properties in the order of 0.5% to 1% by volume, in concrete could enhance the toughness in the post-cracking response by bridging across the cracks.…”