The Effect of Basalt Fiber on Concrete Performance under a Sulfate Attack Environment
Qiang Su, Xu Jinming
Abstract
To enhance the sulfate attack resistance performance of concrete, Sulfate erosion test was carried out on basalt fiber concrete with different contents, selecting a concentration of 5% sulfate solution and using a dry−wet cycle mechanism attack of basalt fiber-reinforced concrete (BFRC). Every 15 dry−wet cycles, the mass, compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, and relative dynamic elastic modulus of BFRC were tested, and the SO42− concentration was measured. This work demonstrates that the mass, relative dynamic elastic modulus, compressive and splitting tensile strength of BFRC reveal a trend of climb up and then decline with the process of the dry−wet cycle. Basalt fiber can enhance the sulfate corrosion resistance of concrete by delaying the erosion of concrete induced by SO42− and increasing the bearing and anti-deformation capacities of concrete by improving its internal structure. Additionally, when mixing 0.2% basalt fiber into concrete, the strength deterioration rate will be reduced when the peak values of splitting tensile and compressive strength appear at 60 and 75 times the alternating dry−wet cycles, respectively. Adverse effects will occur when the fiber volume fraction exceeds 0.2%. The research in this paper can provide a foundation for the engineering applications of basalt fiber concrete.