Mechanical Properties of Basalt Fiber Reinforced Perlite Aggregate Cement Mortars

– In this study, the mechanical properties of basalt fiber reinforced perlite aggregate cementmortars were investigated. The aim of the research was to determine the effect of basalt fiber on the strengthproperties of cement mortar and to identify the optimal fiber content. Specimens with different proportionsof basalt fiber were prepared, and their compressive and flexural strengths were measured at 7 days and 28days. A control specimen with no fiber reinforcement (B0) was used for comparison.The results showed that basalt fiber generally enhanced the strength of the cement mortar. The specimenswith basalt fiber reinforcement exhibited higher compressive and flexural strengths compared to the controlspecimen (B0). Particularly, a more significant increase in strength values was observed in the specimenswith basalt fiber at the 28-day testing period. However, the effect of basalt fiber content and distributionvaried among the specimens. In some specimens (B1.5, B2, B3), a slight decrease in strength was observedat certain testing periods.This study highlights the significance of basalt fiber reinforced perlite aggregate cement mortars as aresearch area, considering the increasing demand for their use in construction applications.