Off-Axis Flexural Properties of Multiaxis 3D Basalt Fiber Preform/Cementitious Concretes: Experimental Study

Abstract

Multiaxis three-dimensional (3D) continuous basalt fiber/cementitious concretes were manufactured. The novelty of the study was that the non-interlace preform structures were multiaxially created by placing all continious filamentary bundles in the in-plane direction of the preform via developed flat winding-molding method to improve the fracture toughness of the concrete composite. Principle and off-axis flexural properties of multiaxis three-dimensional (3D) continuous basalt fiber/cementitious concretes were experimentally studied. It was identified that the principle and off-axis flexural load-bearing, flexural strength and the toughness properties of the multiaxis 3D basalt concrete were extraordinarily affected by the continuous basalt filament bundle orientations and placement in the pristine concrete. The principle and off-axis flexural strength and energy absorption performance of the uniaxial (B-1D-(0°)), biaxial ((B-2D-(0°), B-2D-(90°) and B-2D-(+45°)), and multiaxial (B-4D-(0°), B-4D-(+45°) and B-4D-(−45°)) concrete composites were considerably greater compared to those of pristine concrete. Fractured four directional basalt concretes had regional breakages of the brittle cementitious matrix and broom-like damage features on the filaments, fiber-matrix debonding, intrafilament bundle splitting, and minor filament entanglement. Multiaxis 3D basalt concrete, particularly in the B-4D structure, controlled the crack phenomena and it was recognized as a more damage-tolerant material than the neat concrete.