Experimental investigation of the mechanical properties of basalt fiber-reinforced concrete

This paper presents an experimental investigation of how varying the volume fraction of chopped basalt fibers affects the mechanical properties of fiber-reinforced concrete (FRC). The fiber content is varied in the range of 0-2%. The main parameters investigated are workability, compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, flexural strength, and flexural toughness. Test results showed that the compression strength of concrete decreased marginally with the addition of basalt fibers in comparison with plain concrete. However, the mode of failure of FRC under compression is changed from the brittle to ductile. The splitting tensile strength of concrete is improved by 15% when basalt fibers with 2% volume fraction are added to the concrete mix. A significant increase of up to 75% is noticed in the flexural tensile strength of basalt FRC, with better post-peak residual strength compared with the plain concrete. Furthermore, the flexural toughness of basalt FRC is increased by nearly three times that of the plain concrete based on the round panel tests.