Effect of glass and nylon fibers on drying shrinkage of alkali activated blast furnace slag mortars

The environmental consequences of Portland cement (PC) manufacturing have prompted the exploration of alternative binders, such as the alkali activation of blast furnace slag (BFS), which is generated as a byproduct during the extraction of iron. While alkali-activated blast furnace slag (AAS) binders have some benefits over regular PC binders, they also suffer from disadvantages such as significant drying shrinkage. The study investigated the impact of Na dosage and curing conditions on alkali-activated blast furnace slag mortar (AASM). The consistency of the specimens was tested for fresh, hardened properties, and was conducted. The optimum Na dosage and curing conditions were selected. In the second stage, 0.1% and 0.2% glass and nylon fibers were added to the selected optimum mortar. Consistency, fresh, mechanical, and durability properties tests were conducted on the fiber mortars. The results showed that increasing the Na content increased the compressive and flexural strengths of AASM specimens. Thermal curing provided high compressive and flexural strengths, whereas fiber addition reduced water absorption and drying shrinkage. The drying shrinkage value was reduced by 26.82 % for AASM specimens with 0.2 % nylon fibers by volume compared to AASM without fibers.