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This study investigates the influence of basalt fiber on the rheological, mechanical, and microstructural properties of sustainable self-compacting concrete (SCC) incorporating fly ash and microsilica as supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs). Various SCC mixes were prepared, incorporating five different volume fractions of basalt fiber (0.05%, 0.1%, 0.5%, 1%, and 1.5%), along with a control mix. The rheological properties of fresh SCC were evaluated using slump flow and V-funnel flow tests. Subsequently, the mechanical properties, including compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, and flexural strength, were measured after 28 days of curing. Additionally, microstructural analysis was conducted using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) on fractured specimen surfaces. The results indicated that the inclusion of basalt fiber adversely affected the flowability of fresh SCC mixes, with increased fiber volume. However, the hardened concrete exhibited significant improvements in mechanical properties with the addition of basalt fibers. The optimal performance was observed in the SCC70-85/0.10 mix specimens, which demonstrated a 69.90% improvement in flexural strength and a 23.47% increase in splitting tensile strength compared with the control specimen. SEM analysis further revealed enhanced microstructural density in the concrete matrix containing basalt fiber. A two-factor analysis of variance (ANOVA) with repetitions was conducted to evaluate the effects of varying basalt fiber concentrations on the compressive, flexural, and tensile strengths of SCC mixes. The ANOVA results indicated significant effects for both SCC grade and basalt fiber concentration, demonstrating that each factor independently affected the compressive, tensile, and flexural strengths of SCC. These findings suggest that the incorporation of basalt fibers holds promise for extending building lifespans and enhancing concrete quality, representing a valuable advancement in structural engineering applications.
Details
Concrete mixing;
Microstructural analysis;
Basalt;
Splitting;
Rheology;
Fly ash;
Mechanical properties;
Rheological properties;
Factor analysis;
Structural engineering;
Self-compacting concrete;
Fiber reinforced concretes;
Mixtures;
Variance analysis;
Reinforced concrete;
Cement;
Tensile strength;
Scanning electron microscopy;
Flexural strength;
Compressive strength
; Ebead, Usama A 2
; Mohsen, Mohamed O 3
; Aburumman, Mervat O 4 ; Senouci, Ahmed 5
; Maherzi, Walid 6
; Qtiashat, Deya 1
1 Department of Civil Engineering, Aqaba University of Technology, Aqaba P.O. Box 11947, Jordan;
2 Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Qatar University, Doha P.O. Box 2713, Qatar;
3 Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Qatar University, Doha P.O. Box 2713, Qatar;
4 Tajarub for Research and Development, Doha P.O. Box 12627, Qatar;
5 Department of Construction Management, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204-4020, USA;
6 IMT Nord Europe, Institut Mines-Télécom, Centre for Materials and Processes, F-59000 Lille, France;