Engineering Properties of Basalt Fiber-Reinforced Bottom Ash Cement Paste Composites

Extinction of natural resources builds up pressure on governments to invest in research to find more sustainable resources within the construction sector. Earlier studies on mortar and concrete show that bottom ash and basalt fiber are independently alternative binders in the concrete sector. This study aims to use bottom ash and basalt fiber blends as alternative novel-based composites in pure cement paste. The strength and durability properties of two different percentages of bottom ash (40% and 50%) and three volume fractions of basalt fiber (0.3%, 0.75%, and 1.5%) were used at three curing periods (7, 28, and 56 days). In order to measure the physical properties of the basalt-reinforced bottom ash cement paste composites flowability, dry unit weight, porosity, and water absorption measurements at 7, 28, and 56 days of curing were performed. Furthermore, the mechanical properties of composites were determined by unconfined compressive strength and flexural strength tests. Finally, to assess the durability, sulfate-resistance and seawater-resistance tests have been performed on composites at 28 and 56 days of curing. Results showed that the addition of basalt fiber improves the physical, mechanical, and chemical stability properties of paste up to a limiting basalt fiber addition (0.3% volume fraction) where, above, an adverse effect has been monitored. It is clear that observed results can lead to the development of sustainability strategies in the concrete industry by utilizing bottom ash and basalt fiber as an alternative binder.