Tensile strain-hardening behaviors and crack patterns of slag-based fiber-reinforced composites

A strain-hardening highly ductile composite based on an alkali-activated slag binder and synthetic fibers is a promising construction material due to its excellent tensile behavior and owing to the ecofriendly characteristics of its binder. This study investigated the effect of different types of synthetic fibers and water-to-binder ratios on the compressive strength and tensile behavior of slag-based cementless composites. Alkali-activated slag was used as a binder and water-to-binder ratios of 0.35, 0.45, and 0.55 were considered. Three types of fibers, polypropylene fiber, polyethylene (PE) fiber, and polyparaphenylene-benzobisethiazole (PBO) fiber, were used as reinforcing fibers, and compression and uniaxial tension tests were performed. The test results showed that the PE fiber series composites exhibited superior tensile behavior in terms of the tensile strain capacity and crack patterns while PBO fiber series composites had high tensile strength levels and tight crack widths and spacing distances.