Abstract
This study investigates the effects of basalt–polypropylene fibers on the compressive strength and splitting tensile strength of concrete and calculates the fractal dimension of the pore structure of concrete by using a fractal model based on the optical method. Test results reveal that hybrid fibers can improve the compressive strength and splitting tensile strength of concrete, and the synergistic effect of the hybrid fibers is strongest when the contents of basalt fiber (BF) and polypropylene fiber (PF) are 0.05% each, and that the maximum increments in compressive strength and splitting tensile strength are 5.06% and 9.56%, respectively. The effect of hybrid fibers on splitting tensile strength is greater than on compressive strength. However, hybrid fibers have adverse effects on mechanical properties when the fiber content is too high. The pore structure of basalt–polypropylene fiber-reinforced concrete (BPFRC) exhibits obvious fractal characteristics, and the fractal dimension is calculated to be in the range of 2.297–2.482. The fractal dimension has a strong correlation with the air content and spacing factor: the air content decreases significantly whereas the spacing factor increases with increasing fractal dimension. In addition, the fractal dimension also has a strong positive correlation with compressive strength and splitting tensile strength. Therefore, the fractal dimension of the pore structure can be used to evaluate the microscopic pore structure of concrete and can also reflect the influence of the complexity of the pore structure on the macroscopic mechanical properties of concrete.
Highlights
Concrete is widely used in engineering structures because of its low cost, simplicity of preparation, and excellent strength [1]
The measurement results of the compressive strength and splitting tensile strength of concrete incorporated with mixtures of different fiber contents are shown in Figure 3a,b, respectively
With an increase in the fiber content, compressive strength becomes lower than that of the reference concrete; BF5PF15 shows the lowest compressive strength, which is 22.63% lower than that of the reference concrete. These findings are in agreement with the results reported by other researchers [40,41]
Summary
Concrete is widely used in engineering structures because of its low cost, simplicity of preparation, and excellent strength [1]. Concrete has disadvantages such as a low tensile strength, poor toughness, and high brittleness, which adversely affect the safety, applicability, and durability of the concrete structure [2]. Many studies have shown that the mechanical properties and durability of concrete can be effectively improved by incorporating fibers into it, obtaining fiber-reinforced concrete for high strength, toughness, and durability [3,4]. Fibers can be incorporated into concrete in two ways: incorporation of a single type of fiber, and incorporation of fibers of different types or sizes. Incorporation of a single type of fiber provides limited improvement in concrete performance. When hybrid fibers obtained by mixing fibers of different types or sizes are incorporated into concrete, the hybrid fibers can induce their respective reinforcing effects
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