Corrosion of steel fibre reinforced mortars – a microstructural investigation

The cement and concrete industry, producing the most common material on the planet, is constantly seeking alternatives and improvements to the standard mix of general purpose cement, aggregates and water. In this study, the first of its kind, two alternatives (a blended cement and a non-cement formulation known as geopolymer) are compared directly with a standard mix using innovative analytical techniques. The results show that the alternatives have distinct advantages but the author advocates for more microstructural investigation to be conducted in order to prove them conclusively, particularly long term surface changes as a key indicator of service life.