Basalt fiber reinforced concrete (BFRC) has been widely utilized in various constructions such as buildings, large industrial floors, and highways, due to its excellent physical and mechanical properties, as well as low production cost. In order to address the influence of basic parameters such as fiber volume fraction (0.05∼0.40%), fiber length (12∼36 mm) of BF, and compressive strength (30, 40, and 50 MPa) of concrete on both physical and mechanical properties of BFRC including compressive strength, tensile and flexural strength, workability, and anti-dry-shrinkage cracking properties, a series of standard material tests were conducted. Experimental results indicated that clumping of fibers may occur at relatively higher fiber volume fraction resulting in mixing and casting problems. Based on experimental values of mechanical properties and anti-dry-shrinkage cracking resistance of BFRC, the reasonable basalt fiber length and fiber volume fractions are identified. The addition of a small amount of short basalt fibers can result in a considerable increase in both compressive strength and modulus of rupture (MoR) of BFRC and that the proposed fiber length and content are 12.0 mm and 0.10%∼0.15%, respectively. As the length of basalt fibers increases, the development of early shrinkage cracks decreases initially and then increases slowly and the optimal fiber length is 18.0 mm. Results of the study also indicated that early shrinkage cracks decrease with the increase of fiber volume fraction, and when the volume fraction of 0.20% is used, no cracks were observed. All the findings of the present study may provide reference for the material proportion design of BFRC.

A new steel-concrete connection with Perfo-Bond Strip (PBL) connectors for a hybrid cable-stayed bridge was adopted and introduced. Push-out tests of the PBL connectors were performed to evaluate the shear capacity of perfobond ribs in steel-concrete connections. Test results revealed that the shear strength of a perfobond rib in a twin configuration is about 80% of that of a single independent perfobond rib. To investigate the safety and reliability of the proposed connection from a practical perspective, a model test with a scale of 1:2 for the joint of the hybrid girder was carried out on site. During the test, stress distribution, crack resistance ability, and relative slip between concrete and steel were measured carefully to investigate the mechanical performance, force transmission, strength, and stiffness of the steel-concrete connection. The test results revealed that concentrated stress at the loading section in steel girders can be reduced and transferred uniformly through the joint to ...