Impact of basalt fiber on mechanical properties and durability of shotcrete

Shotcrete has the problems of easy cracking and high brittleness, the incorporation of fiber can reduce the brittleness and improve the mechanical properties and durability of shotcrete. This study investigated the effect of basalt fibers (BF) lengths on mechanical properties and durability of shotcrete. The BFs were also compared with steel fibers (SF) to verify the performance advantages of BFs. The results showed that 16 mm BF had the best effect on enhancing the mechanical properties of shotcrete. The 16 mm BF shotcrete had the best frost resistance, while the 50 mm BF had poor frost resistance. The SF reinforced shotcrete exhibits inferior frost resistance compared to BF reinforced shotcrete, due to its narrower operating temperature range and higher susceptibility to corrosion.