Mechanical Properties of MiniBar Reinforced Concrete with Low-Heat Cement

Concrete is known as a brittle material with low tensile strength and steel reinforcements have been traditionally used in concrete structures to increase tensile capacity. More recently, various fibres have been used as an alternative to steel reinforcements in concrete. It is reported that well-distributed fibres can enhance the mechanical properties of plain concrete. Steel fibres are the most widely used fibres in concrete. However, steel fibres have a high density and are also prone to corrosion damage. Alternatively, lightweight and corrosion-free MiniBars made of basalt fibre can be used. MiniBars are similar to scaled basalt fibre-reinforced polymer reinforcing bars but with an average diameter and length of around 0.7 mm and 41–45 mm, respectively. In this study, the compressive strength, flexural tensile strength, and post-cracking (residual) strength of MiniBar-reinforced concrete with low-heat cement are studied. To investigate the influence of the MiniBar fibre volume fraction on the compressive and tensile behaviour of the concrete, specimens containing 0%, 0.5% and 1% of MiniBars by volume are tested. Results show that MiniBar volume fraction had a minor effect on the compressive strength of the concrete. However, the addition of MiniBar fibres significantly improved the behaviour of the concrete after flexural cracking.