Performance of cementitious composites reinforced with chopped basalt fibres – An overview

The focus on the use of eco-friendly materials in cementitious composites has resulted in increasing interest and use of materials such as chopped basalt fibres which are a sustainable alternative to the conventional fibres. In addition to the sustainable advantage of basalt fibres, they are cheaper and possess outstanding mechanical and durability performance. However, as the use of basalt fibres in cementitious composites is still relatively new, it is paramount to have a critical understanding of how the properties of the basalt fibre affect the performance of cementitious composites. This paper presents an overview of the use of basalt fibres in cementitious composites and the corresponding effects on the performance. The properties of the basalt fibres were discussed, and the performance of cementitious composites reinforced with basalt fibres in terms of its mechanical and durability properties was explored and discussed. This overview confirmed the enhancement of mechanical properties of cementitious composites such as flexural strength and split tensile strength with the incorporation of basalt fibres. However, more research is still needed in understanding the overall effect of basalt fibres on the compressive strength and durability performance of cementitious composites.