The basalt fiber is a promising reinforcing fiber because it has a relatively higher tensile strength and a density similar to that of a concrete matrix as well as no corrosion possibility. This study investigated experimentally the bonding properties of basalt fiber with cementitious material as well as the effect of fiber orientation on the tensile strength of basalt fiber for evaluating basalt fiber’s suitability as a reinforcing fiber. Single fiber pullout tests were performed and then the tensile strength of fiber was measured according to fiber orientation. The test results showed that basalt fiber has a strong chemical bond with the cementitious matrix, 1.88 times higher than that of polyvinyl alcohol fibers with it. However, other properties of basalt fiber such as slip-hardening coefficient and strength reduction coefficient were worse than PVA and polyethylene fibers in terms of fiber bridging capacity. Theoretical fiber-bridging curves showed that the basalt fiber reinforcing system has a higher cracking strength than the PVA fiber reinforcing system, but the reinforcing system showed softening behavior after cracking.

This paper presents an experimental study on the effects of zirconia silica fume on the composite properties and cracking patterns of fiber-reinforced alkali-activated slag-based composites. Four mixtures were prepared with added zirconia silica fume and varying water-to-binder ratio. Polyethylene fiber was used as a reinforcing fiber for all the mixtures at a volumetric ratio of 2.0% cubic specimens and uniaxial tensile specimens were prepared to evaluate their density, compressive strength, and tensile behavior. The test results demonstrated that the compressive strength, tensile strength, and tensile strain capacity of the composite can be simultaneously improved by incorporating zirconia silica fume. A mixture incorporating zirconia silica fume showed high-ductile behavior of 26.5% higher tensile strength, and 13.7% higher tensile strain capacity than the mixture without zirconia silica fume. The composite with added zirconia silica fume also showed excellent cracking patterns, i.e., narrow crack spacing and crack width.

This paper presents a direct comparison of the mechanical and crack-healing properties of strain hardening cementitious composites (SHCC) under water submersion in a laboratory and in a natural environment outdoors. Portland cement, slag, crumb rubber powder, and hybrid polyethylene and polyvinyl alcohol fibers were used for the SHCC, and mixture proportions were determined. Specimens were exposed to different environmental conditions. A sequence of experimental tests including those for density, compressive strength, and tensile properties was performed to assess the mechanical properties of the SHCC. To confirm the healing feasibility of the SHCC, crack width reduction, stiffness recovery, and tensile performance at post-healing were adopted. The test results showed that underwater conditions are better than natural conditions in improving both the mechanical and crack-healing properties of SHCC. Specifically, the SHCC cured in natural conditions had a lower compressive strength, tensile strength, and tensile strain capacity than that cured in underwater conditions by 10%, 4%, and 3%, respectively. The SHCC cured in underwater conditions had a healing threshold of crack width of 60 µm, while the SHCC cured in natural conditions had very limited crack-healing capacity. Additionally, stiffness recovery of the SHCC cured in underwater conditions was higher than that cured in natural conditions.

This article reports a quantitative investigation of the surface characteristics of normal concrete manufactured with different types of formworks and bonding strength between pine resin-based adhesives and concrete surfaces. Three types of formworks and adhesives with different ratios of pine resin to wax were prepared. Scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersiveX-ray spectroscopy, white-light scanning interferometry, and electrophoretic light scattering were utilized for the surface characterization of concrete, and a bonding test was performed. Test results showed that the surface roughness of concrete was significantly influenced by the type of formwork; all techniques including visual observation provided similar results. On the contrary, chemical compositions and electrical characteristics were not influenced by the type of formwork. Bonding test results showed that bonding strength increased as the ratio of wax increased and the degree of the concrete surface roughness increased. The results of this study indicate the feasibility of pine resin-based adhesives for concrete structures as green construction materials.