Influence of Whiskers and PVA Fibers on the Flexural Properties of Steel Fiber–Reinforced Cementitious Composites
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 36, Issue 11
Abstract
Multiscale fiber hybridization is an essential method for enhancing and toughening cement-based materials. In this study, the influence of the content of calcium carbonate whiskers (CW) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fibers on the flexural properties of cementitious composites containing 1.5% by volume steel fibers was investigated by using the hybridization of CW, PVA fibers, and steel fibers based on the four-point bending notched test. The distribution characteristics of PVA fibers and steel fibers in multiscale hybrid fiber-reinforced cementitious composites (MFRC) were analyzed and evaluated using backscattered electron imaging (BSE). The results demonstrated that the addition of an appropriate amount of CW and PVA fibers effectively improved the flexural performance of steel fiber–reinforced cementitious composites and promoted a more uniform distribution of steel fibers within the matrix. The MFRC with 1% by volume CW, 0.3% by volume PVA fiber, and 1.5% by volume steel fiber (C1P03S15) exhibited the highest flexural toughness coefficient () and fiber dispersion coefficient (), which increased by 46.2% and 81.4%, respectively, compared to the control group without CW. Furthermore, a strong correlation between and was observed through fitting, indicating the potential for guiding practical engineering applications.
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Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or code that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 36 • Issue 11 • November 2024
Copyright
© 2024 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jul 23, 2023
Accepted: Apr 24, 2024
Published online: Sep 4, 2024
Published in print: Nov 1, 2024
Discussion open until: Feb 4, 2025
ASCE Technical Topics:
- [Inorganic compounds]
- Calcium carbonate
- Cement
- Chemicals
- Chemistry
- Composite materials
- Concrete
- Engineering materials (by type)
- Engineering mechanics
- Environmental engineering
- Fibers
- Flexural strength
- Material mechanics
- Material properties
- Materials engineering
- Organic compounds
- Organic compounds
- Pollutants
- Steel fibers
- Strength of materials
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