Technical Papers
Sep 25, 2023

Effect of Steel Fiber on Mechanical Properties and Microstructure of Magnesium Phosphate Cement–Based Concrete Exposed to Water and Sulfate Attack

Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 35, Issue 12

Abstract

Recently, steel fiber–reinforced magnesium phosphate cement–based concrete (SFRMPCC) has attracted much attention due to its excellent properties. To apply this new type of concrete to practical engineering, this paper evaluates the effect of steel fiber (SF) content and curing age on the water and sulfate resistance of magnesium phosphate cement–based concrete (MPCC). Specimens containing fly ash and metakaolin and with different SF volume contents were prepared and subjected to curing in air, water, and 5% Na2SO4 solution. The mass change, cubic compressive strength (CCS), strength retention rate, deterioration factor, microstructure, and phase composition were analyzed. Empirical formulas for strength prediction are proposed using range, variance, and nonlinear regression analysis methods. The results showed that the specimens immersed in water and Na2SO4 solution had good mass retention. The compressive strength of air-cured specimens gradually increased with the curing age, and the addition of a proper amount of SF could improve the strength under air curing. However, the addition of SF had a negative effect on the compactness and strength of specimens immersed in water and sulfate solution. SFRMPCC and MPCC had good resistance to sulfate attack, which may be related to the new reaction in the magnesium phosphate cement (MPC) matrix.

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Data Availability Statement

Some or all data, models, or code generated or used during the study are available from the corresponding author by request.

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful for the financial support from the National Key Research and Development Program of China (Grant No. 2017YFC0703405), China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (Grant No. 2022M720064) and Natural Science Foundation of the Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions of China (Grant No. 23KJB560012).

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Go to Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 35Issue 12December 2023

History

Received: Jan 4, 2023
Accepted: May 15, 2023
Published online: Sep 25, 2023
Published in print: Dec 1, 2023
Discussion open until: Feb 25, 2024

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Postdoctoral Researcher, College of Civil Engineering, Nanjing Tech Univ., Nanjing 211816, PR China. Email: [email protected]
Haitao Yang [email protected]
Master’s Candidate, College of Civil Engineering, Nanjing Tech Univ., Nanjing 211816, PR China. Email: [email protected]
Professor, College of Civil and Engineering, Nanjing Tech Univ., Nanjing 211816, PR China (corresponding author). Email: [email protected]
Lecturer, School of Civil Engineering, Sanjiang Univ., Nanjing 210012, PR China. Email: [email protected]
Jianming Yang [email protected]
Professor, School of Civil Engineering, Sanjiang Univ., Nanjing 210012, PR China. Email: [email protected]
Associate Professor, College of Civil Engineering, Nanjing Tech Univ., Nanjing 211816, PR China. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9833-0486. Email: [email protected]
Shuhong Gong [email protected]
Ph.D. Candidate, College of Civil Engineering, Nanjing Tech Univ., Nanjing 211816, PR China. Email: [email protected]

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