Basalt fibre-reinforced mortar: Rheology modelling based on water film thickness and fibre content

•The rheological properties of a set of basalt fibre-reinforced mortars were tested.•The test mortars’ packing densities were affected by the fibre content.•The test mortars’ water film thicknesses (WFTs) were affected by the fibre content.•Models on rheological properties were proposed for the test mortars. The water film thickness (WFT) has been proven to be the key factor governing the fresh properties of plain cementitious materials with no fibres added. But whether this WFT theory can also be applied to fibre-reinforced cementitious materials (FRCM) still needs to be further explored. Besides, the fibres added have significant effects on the fresh properties of FRCM. In this study, the combined effects of WFT and fibre content on the workability, flowability, cohesiveness and adhesiveness of basalt fibre-reinforced mortar were investigated by testing mortar mixes with various water/cement ratios and basalt fibre contents. The findings showed that the basalt fibre content has certain effects on the packing density and WFT of the mortar mix produced. Furthermore, statistical correlation analysis revealed that the WFT and basalt fibre content are the key factors governing the fresh properties of basalt fibre-reinforced mortar. Based on such correlation analysis, a series of rheological models for predicting the fresh properties of basalt fibre-reinforced mortar and depicting the roles of WFT and basalt fibre content have been developed.