Abrasion resistance and fracture energy of concretes with basalt fiber

• Abrasion resistance and fracture energy of basalt fiber concrete are investigated.
• Flexural strength and fracture energy improved with basalt fiber addition.
• The increase in fiber content and length contributed to resistance to abrasion.
• Abrasive wear of concrete with basalt fiber can be predicted.

In this paper, the effect of basalt fiber (BF) on physical and mechanical properties of concretes is reported. High strength and normal strength concretes were cast by adjusting water to cement ratios as 0.45 and 0.60 and a total of ten mixtures were prepared by incorporating different amounts and sizes of BF into those concretes. Test results showed that an improved flexural strength, fracture energy and abrasion resistance can be obtained by using BF even at low contents. However inclusion of BF in concrete resulted in a decrease in the compressive strength. A quite strong relationship was established between abrasive wear and void content and flexural strength of concretes.