Workability and Early-Age Strength of Recycled Aggregate Concrete Incorporating Basalt Fibers

Abstract

This research investigates the effect of basalt fibers (BF) on the workability and early-age compressive and splitting tensile strengths of concrete made with 100% recycled concrete aggregates (RCA). The target concrete compressive strengths were 30, 45, and 60 MPa, whereas the basalt fibers had a length of either 20 or 43 mm. The addition of BF significantly decreased the workability, slightly improved the compressive strength, and remarkably increased the splitting tensile strength of the RCAbased concrete. The compressive strengths of the RCA-based concrete with different BF lengths and volume fractions were insignificantly different. The original compressive strength of the natural aggregate (NA)-based concrete was not fully restored, irrespective of the BF length and volume fraction. Basalt fibers had a more pronounced effect on improving the splitting tensile strength rather than the compressive strength. The original splitting tensile strength of the NA-based concrete was fully restored in most of the cases. Basalt fibers with a length of 43 mm were more effective in improving the splitting tensile strength of the RCA-based concrete than those having a length of 20 mm.