Correction: Baricevic et al. Cementitious Composites Reinforced with Waste Fibres from the Production of High-Quality Construction Textiles. Materials 2022, 15, 1611.

In the original publication [...].

Residual Compressive Behavior of Self-Compacting Concrete after High Temperature Exposure-Influence of Binder Materials.

This paper presents an experimental investigation of the compressive behavior of high-strength self-compacting concrete exposed to temperatures up to 600 °C. Ten different concrete compositions were tested, in which part of the cement (by weight) was replaced by three different mineral additives (5-15% metakaolin, 20-40% fly ash and 5-15% limestone). The stress-strain curves, compressive strength, modulus of elasticity and strain at peak stress were evaluated from uniaxial compression tests. Scanning electron microscope micrographs were also taken to evaluate the damage caused by the high temperatures. A sharp decrease in mechanical properties and an increase in peak strain were observed already after 200 °C for all mixes tested. The different mineral additives used in this study affected the variations of residual compressive strength by 24% and peak strain by 38%, while the variations of residual modulus elasticity were 14%. Comparing the obtained results with the recommendations for compressive strength given in regulatory code EN 1992-1-2 for high strength concrete, it can be concluded that the strength loss observed in EN 1992-1-2 at temperatures up to 400 °C is too conservative. The Popovics model for the relationship between stress and strain provided a good approximation for the experimentally determined stress-strain curves at different temperatures.

Cementitious Composites Reinforced with Waste Fibres from the Production of High-Quality Construction Textiles.

In general, 20-25% of the original fibre weight is considered waste in the production of high-quality textiles for the construction sector. A market analysis has shown that in the Republic of Croatia alone, up to 327 tonnes of this waste is produced annually, which is enough to reinforce 50 to 150 thousand m3 of cementitious composites. This preliminary study aims to evaluate the contribution of glass, basalt and carbon fibres generated as waste in the local production of high-performance technical textiles, to the fresh and hardened properties of fibre reinforced mortars. In order to investigate the influence of fibres, three types of fibres in two different lengths (5 and 10 mm) were used, while the amount of fibres was constant. The obtained results show that due to the fibre presence, workability is reduced regardless of the type and length of the fibre. The tested fibres have a negligible effect on compressive strength, but the use of basalt and carbon fibres increases the tensile strength. Furthermore, all three types have positive influence on the toughness and volumetric deformations, although to a greater extent in the use of 10 mm long fibres and carbon fibres.

Influence of Wood Fly Ash on Concrete Properties through Filling Effect Mechanism.

This paper presents the results of an experimental study aimed at determining the influence of wood fly ash (WFA) from three Croatian power plants on the properties of concrete. First, the chemical and physical properties of WFA's were determined. It was found that these properties are highly influenced by combustion technology, the type and parts of wood used as fuel, and the local operating conditions. Subsequently, workability, heat of hydration, stiffness development, 28-day compressive strength, apparent porosity, and capillary absorption were determined on concrete mixes prepared with WFA as cement replacement from 5-45% by weight. Cement replacement up to 15% with the finest WFA accelerated hydration, stiffness development, and increased compressive strength of concrete up to 18%, while replacement with coarser WFA's led to a decrease in compressive strength of up to 5% and had more gradual heat liberation. The dominant effect that could explain these findings is attributed to the filler and filling effect mechanisms. At the same time replacement content of up to 45% had very little effect on capillary absorption and could give concrete with sufficiently high compressive strength to be suitable for construction purposes.