Hybrid performance of steel and glass fibers on mechanical properties, shrinkage and durability of cement composites

This study investigates the effect of steel fibers and its hybrid form with glass fiber on the properties of cement composites. The studied mechanical properties included compressive strength and flexural strength, and the energy absorption rate of the specimens was determined by the flexural toughness. In the mixtures, Portland cement and calcium aluminate have been used as bonding agents the mixes containing 2% steel fiber (% of total volume of the mixture), 2% AR Glass fiber, and hybrid of these fibers were made of glass fiber (2% steel fibers and 2% glass fiber), the length of these fibers was 25 mm. The compressive strength test was performed at the age of 1, 7, 28 and 90 days. Speciments made with calcium aluminate cement had higher compressive strength due to quick formation of microstructure compared to Portland cement mixtures, so that 90-day compressive strength of Portland cement mix was lower compared to the 1-day compressive strength of Calcium aluminate concrete. Incorporating 2% steel fibers also had a slightly enhancing effect on compressive strength. Flexural strength test was carried out at 28 and 90 days. The steel fibers create appropriate mechanical bond with the cementitious matrix, and the ultimate flexural strength was about 2 times higher than non-fibers specimen, due to the congrated geometry of the steel fibers. Substituting glass fiber also increased the ultimate flexural strength due to the high aspect ratio glass fibers and the well formed Interfacial transition zone (ITZ). The hybridization of the aforementioned fibers with steel fibers increases the bending strength due to the synergistic effect. The energy absorption content of the cementitious mix measured by flexural toughness index shows that this energy absorption content increases with the hybridization of the glass and steel fibers, so that the hybrid specimen made with Portland cement had a flexural toughness of 34.4 Nm. The glass fiber increased the toughness due to its excellent energy absorption. The steel fibers in the mixed increased the area under the flexural loading cureve and prevent the mixture from being destroyed by the first crack. In the shrinkage test results the control specimen with the two types of cements did not differ significantly, but the addition of 2% of the fibers (steel fiber and glass fiber) reduced shrinkage by their limiting effect on length change and propagation of micro cracks. When the percentage of glass fiber become higher, similar to the hybrid mix, the shrinkage was reduced further. This experiment was performed uo to 270 days and it was observed that the shrinkage of the hybrid specimen made with Calcium aluminate cement reduced by 65.5% compared to the plain concrete. In this study, the RCMT was carried out at 90 days. The results indicate that the penetration rate of the hybrid specimens and the glass fiber mixtures were lower than those of the steel fibers incorporated mixed. Also, in comparing two types of calcium aluminate cement and Portland cement, specimen made with calcium aluminate cement, the chloride ion penetration was lower than those made with Portland cement due to the improved Interfacial transition zone (ITZ) and less porosity of this type of cement.