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Fracture performance of macro synthetic steel fiber concrete exposed to a sulfate environment

Shuang You (School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, China)
Hongguang Ji (School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, China)
Juanhong Liu (School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, China)
Chenglin Song (School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, China)
Wendi Tang (School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, China)

Anti-Corrosion Methods and Materials

ISSN: 0003-5599

Article publication date: 3 May 2016

1661

Abstract

Purpose

Macro synthetic steel fibers were incorporated into the concrete material as a toughening agent to improve the corrosion and cracking resistances of concrete in a sulfate-containing service environment.

Design/methodology/approach

To study the basic mechanical properties of this system, an accelerated concrete degradation test was designed to evaluate the influence of the sulfate ions on the concrete. A three-point bending test was carried out in the laboratory to evaluate the fracture toughness. The thickness of the damaged concrete layer and changes of microstructure of the degraded concrete were monitored by using ultrasound, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction detection methods.

Findings

The results showed that compared to the performance of ordinary concrete, in an exposure environment containing sulfate ions, the structure compactness of macro synthetic steel fiber concrete was improved, degradation resistance to the sulfate solution was enhanced and the fracture resistance performance was improved significantly.

Originality/value

The thickness of the degradation layer on the macro synthetic steel fiber concrete was less than a half of that of ordinary concrete in the sulfate environment, and was generally unchanged with increase in the sulfate concentration. Through micro-structural analysis, it was confirmed that macro synthetic steel fiber improved the compactness of the concrete structure, inhibiting access of sulfate ions to the interior of the concrete and thereby reducing the degree of sulfate degradation to the concrete.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

Thanks are hereby expressed for funds from the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (FRF-TP-15-039A2) and for the technical support from Huaibei Ming Group.

Citation

You, S., Ji, H., Liu, J., Song, C. and Tang, W. (2016), "Fracture performance of macro synthetic steel fiber concrete exposed to a sulfate environment", Anti-Corrosion Methods and Materials, Vol. 63 No. 3, pp. 236-244. https://doi.org/10.1108/ACMM-12-2015-1622

Publisher

:

Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2016, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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