EVALUATION OF MECHANICAL PERFORMANCE OF A NEW GLASS FIBER REINFORCED MINERAL MATRIX COMPOSITE

The use of fibers in different combinations with mineral matrices has started since Biblical times. Clay with different natural fibers like straw or horse hair where combined and obtained strengthened building materials. In the past decades synthetic fibers e.g. glass fibers, carbon fibers, were used with polymeric resins and cement matrices also. Finding an appropriate material and structural system made of fiber reinforced mineral matrix which has adequate mechanical performance, possibility of industrialization and a minimum price is a demand for researchers. This paper presents the experimental investigations on the mechanical properties of a glass fiber reinforced mineral composite material. The strength characteristics were determined by means of uniaxial compression tests conducted on un-reinforced and glass fiber reinforced mineral matrix cylinders (100 × 50 mm) and uniaxial tensile tests conducted on flat specimens (400 × × 30 × 10 mm). The composite material is based on a mineral matrix made of sand - 50%, ordinary Portland cement - 35%, and calcium sulphate in β anhydrite III' form - 15%. Age of testing was set to 7 and 21 days for compressive tests and 21 days for tensile tests. The obtained results concerning strengths, strains, elastic modulus are analysed and compared in order of using these values in future FEM analysis. The main objective of materials studied is evaluation of mechanical performance of mineral matrix composites to obtain structural elements or civil engineering structures, especially low cost houses with high structural and thermal efficiency. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]