Influence of the specimeńs geometry on the mechanical characteristics of cement mortars with addition of fibres

Abstract

The influence of the specimen's geometry on the mechanical properties of cement mortars with addition of carbon and basalt fibers has been studied. The first phase focused on the influence of the different amount of fibers on the mechanical properties of mortars. The tests showed that the addition of a 1% of fibers on the mortars significantly improved their energy absorption capacity. In the second phase, eight different specimen geometries were tested: four by flexural tests and four by compressive tests. The analysis of the results showed the influence of the specimen's geometry on the mechanical characteristics of mortars with fibers. It was observed that the maximum strength resisted by the specimen decreased at the time its dimensions increased, producing a "size effect". On the other hand, the strengths' decrease is more progressive in specimens with a wide/tall bigger ratio, being this a decisive parameter in the amount of absorbed energy before the collapse takes place. © 2019 Publicaciones Dyna Sl. All rights reserved.