Toughness Behavior of Fiber-Reinforced Rapid-Set Materials: A Preliminary Study

Abstract

Abstract This paper presents the experimental results of a preliminary investigation on fiber-reinforced rapid-set materials. The experimental study was carried out using two commercially available rapid-set materials mixed with steel fibers. The investigation was focused on the flexural strength (modulus of rupture) and toughness of the two composites. Three fiber lengths of 30, 50, and 60 mm were incorporated in this study. Their aspect ratios were: 100 (l = 50 mm, φ = 0.5 mm), 75 (l = 60 mm, φ = 0.8 mm), and 60 (l = 30 mm, φ = 0.5 mm). Three fiber contents, namely 50, 100, and 150 lb/yd3 (30, 60, and 90 kg/m3), were used. The experimental findings indicate that the addition of steel fibers to rapid-set materials results in an increase in flexural strength and a considerable improvement in flexure toughness.