Grey modeling study on mechanical properties and pore structure of concrete with different basalt fiber contents based on NMR

Abstract

This paper investigates the correlation between strength and pore characteristics of basalt fiber-reinforced concrete (BFRC) with different fiber contents and establishes a link between meso- and macro-properties. The research focuses on BFRC with differing fiber contents, analyzing compressive strength, flexural strength, and splitting tensile strength across eight admixture levels (ranging from 0 % to 0.35 %). Using the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technique, T2 spectra of BFRC with varying fiber contents are obtained, deriving curves of the pore distribution. Additionally, considering the parameters of different pore size proportions, the paper delves into analyzing the impact of pore structure on BFRC's distinct mechanical properties using grey correlation. Utilizing the optimal pore structure parameters derived from GCA to forecast different strengths, this study establishes GM(1,3) prediction models for three strengths, respectively. The results showed that basalt fibers can enhance concrete strength. And, 0.25 % basalt fibers optimize concrete's the inner structure of BFRC by decreasing harmful pores. The comprehensive correlation between pore parameters and BFRC strength ranges significantly indicating a notable relationship between strength and pore alterations. The compressive strength was most related to the total porosity and the proportion of non-harmful pores, and the splitting tensile and flexural strengths were related to the fractal dimension and porosity of the harmful pores as well as to the total and non-harmful porosity, respectively. A BFRC strength prediction model formula was developed based on the most relevant pore structure parameters derived from GCA. This calculation formula showcases a high accuracy in predicting BFRC strength, establishing a mesoscopic-to-macroscopic quantitative relationship that effectively informs the production and application of BFRC.