Publication

Abstract : Recent reports in the literature have shown that fiber-reinforced geopolymer composites (FRGC) made with monofibers exhibit a significant enhancement in fracture energy. However, many aspects of the fracture performance of hybrid fiber-reinforced geopolymer composites (HFRGC) remain largely unexploited, and these are predominant for the structures. For the first time, the mode I fracture energy of HFRGC is investigated. The mode I behavior was assessed using pre-notched beams in accordance with the RILEM three-point bending test. Five different HFRGC mixtures were prepared using three fiber types: steel, polypropylene and glass (SF, PF and GF). The parameters of the pre-notched beam in flexure tested in this study were the first crack and peak load, crack mouth opening displacement at the first crack load and peak load, equivalent tensile strength, post-peak slope, reinforcing index, residual tensile strength and fracture energy. The results reveal that there is a positive interaction amidst the fibers in geopolymer composites that leads to an enhancement in the mode I fracture energy compared to the reference specimen. This study probes the influence of novel HFRGC while producing high-quality concrete, which can then be leveraged for sustainable infrastructure and various civil engineering works. © 2019, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals.