The influence of expansive cement on the mechanical, physical, and microstructural properties of hybrid-fiber-reinforced concrete

This work reports the properties of hybrid-fiber-reinforced concrete (HyFRC) made with expansive (Type K) cement. Combinations of metallic and non-metallic fibers at total fiber volume fraction of 1% were studied. The effectiveness of double hooked-end (DHE) steel fibers in concrete containing expansive cement is investigated for the first time in this study. The mechanical, physical, and microstructural properties of concretes have been assessed. Additionally, the fiber pull-out test was also performed to investigate the effectiveness of Type K cement in improving the fiber-matrix interfacial bond. The results indicate that Type K cement has small influence on the mechanical properties of concrete fabricated at the same water-cement ratio of 0.35 with a similar consistency. However, as expected, it enhances the volume stability of concrete subjected to drying condition. The pull-out resistance of steel fibers increased by 26% as a result of full replacement of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) with Type K cement. A deflection-hardening performance is achieved by introducing of DHE steel fibers in HyFRC. The partially replacement of DHE steel fibers with other type of fibers results in a reduction in the strengths of HyFRC. The results obtained in this study proves that the bond between fiber and cement matrix is enhanced by fully replacement of OPC with expansive cement, which subsequently improves the mechanical properties of HyFRC.