Abrasion resistance and strength properties of non-fibrous and steel fiber reinforced mortars with different aggregates

In this study, an experimental investigation was carried out to study the effect of using different aggregates on the abrasion resistance, flexural and compressive strengths of the manufactured OPC mortars. Waste foundry sand and calcareous limestone were used as a partial replacement with the standard sand. The aforementioned procedure was conducted with and without the reinforcement of steel fibers in order to inspect the significance of fibers on the intended tests. Results revealed the fact that using fiber reinforcement and waste foundry sand together proved to be in benefit of improving the characteristics of the resulted matrix. MIX 3 yielded the best results in terms of strength properties and abrasion resistance. Moreover, the mixes with limestone aggregates presented a better performance when compared to the control specimen.