Proportioning of foamed concrete reinforced with carbon fibers

Abstract EN

This paper shows the production of foamed concrete reinforced with carbon fibers.

Firstly, different mortar mixes were prepared by varying ratio of sand/cement.

Continuously, the selected mortar mix was used for the foamed concrete produced due to the results of density, compressive strength, splitting tensile strength and flexural strength test.

Secondly, different foam agent amounts (0.8, 1, 1.2 and 1.4 kg / m3) with 10 % of silica fume were included in the selected mortar mix to produce the optimum foamed concrete mix depending on the same set of tests mentioned above.

Lastly, various volumetric fractions of carbon fibers (0.5, 1 and 1.5%) were incorporated with the optimum foamed concrete mix and the same set of tests was done to examine such foamed concrete reinforced with carbon fibers.

The results give acceptable ranges of strength for mortar mix using 1.9 sand/cement ratios.

Besides, the foamed concrete produced by the inclusions of foaming agent 1 kg / m3 shows acceptable ranges of density and strength to be suitable for the reinforcing by carbon fibers.

The carbon fiber included in the foamed concrete exhibit significant increases for the strengths.

Such increases are varied from about 35 % using 1 % carbon fibers to 44 % and 116 % using 1.5% carbon fibers for compressive, splitting tensile and flexural strength, respectively