Mechanical properties of basalt fiber reinforced geopolymeric concrete under impact loading

Impact mechanical properties of basalt fiber reinforced geopolymeric concrete (BFRGC), including dynamic compressive strength, deformation and energy absorption capacity, were studied using a 100-mm-diameter split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) system. For the valid SHPB tests on BFRGC specimens, the improved pulse shaping techniques were proposed to obtain dynamic stress equilibrium and nearly constant strain rate loading over most of the test durations. Impact properties of BFRGC exhibit strong strain rate dependency, and increase approximately linearly with the strain rate. The addition of basalt fiber can significantly improve deformation and energy absorption capacities of geopolymeric concrete (GC), while there is no notable improvement in dynamic compressive strength. In addition, the optimum volume fraction of basalt fiber was presented for BFRGC.