Performance of steel micro fiber reinforced mortar mixtures containing plain, binary and ternary cementitious systems

Abstract

Steel micro fibers provide strengthening, toughening and durability improvement mechanisms in cementitious composites. However, there is not much data in the literature regarding how the extent of their effectiveness changes depending on the type of matrix being reinforced. For clarifying this point, the influence of a constant volumetric ratio (1%) of 6 mm long steel micro fibers on the performance of 5 mortar mixtures was investigated and were prepared using plain, binary and ternary cementitious systems. A total of 10 mixtures were cast. The mineral admixtures used in the study include silica fume (SF), metakaolin (MK) and a Class C fly ash (FA). While the replacement levels of SF and MK were 10% by weight of the total mass of the binder, this ratio was chosen as 30% for FA. In addition to the behavior of the mixtures under compressive, flexural and impact loads, abrasion, water absorption, chloride ion penetration, freezing-thawing resistance and drying shrinkage characteristics of the mixtures were determined. Test results indicate that generally the refinement in the pore structure of the matrix provided by mineral admixtures and the increase in resistance against growth and coalescence of micro-cracks provided by fibers produce a synergistic effect and improve the investigated performances of the mixtures.