Characteristics of basalt fiber as a strengthening material for concrete structures

Abstract

This study investigates the applicability of the basalt fiber as a strengthening material for structural concrete members through various experimental works for durability, mechanical properties, and flexural strengthening. The basalt fiber used in this study was manufactured in Russia and exhibited the tensile strength of 1000 MPa, which was about 30% of the carbon and 60% of the high strength glass (S-glass) fiber. When the fibers were immersed into an alkali solution, the basalt and glass fibers lost their volumes and strengths with a reaction product on the surface but the carbon fiber did not show significant strength reduction. From the accelerated weathering test, the basalt fiber was found to provide better resistance than the glass fiber. However, the basalt fiber kept about 90% of the normal temperature strength after exposure at 600 degrees C for 2 h whereas the carbon and the glass fibers did not maintain their volumetric integrity. In the tests for flexural strengthening evaluation, the basalt fiber strengthening improved both the yielding and the ultimate strength of the beam specimen up to 27% depending on the number of layers applied. From the results presented herein, two layers of the basalt fiber sheets were thought to be better strengthening scheme. In addition, the strengthening does not need to extend over the entire length of the flexural member. When moderate structural strengthening but high resistance for fire is simultaneously sought such as for building structures, the basalt fiber strengthening will be a good alternative methodology among other fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) strengthening systems. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.