ENGS 89/90 Reports

Year of Graduation

2025

Project Advisor

Ian Baker

Instructor

Solomon Diamond

Document Type

Report

Publication Date

2025

Abstract

This research project investigates the improvement of mortar strength by incorporating metal fiber additives, to develop a high-performance mortar for construction applications where traditional concrete with coarse aggregates is not viable. Sponsored by Creare LLC who have received a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the U.S. Department of Defense, the upper limits of metal fiber loading in mortar are explored to achieve compressive and flexural strengths that are similar to traditional concrete. The study uses a design of experiments: varying fiber type and concentration to determine the impact on mechanical properties, including compressive and flexural strength while maintaining workability and limiting metal fiber clumping. Following ASTM standards, compression, and flexural tests are carried out on samples with Helix 5-25 micro rebar metal fibers and with Euclid PSI Crimped Steel Fibers. The results demonstrated statistically significant improvements in both flexural strength (>400 psi) and compressive strength (>2500 psi) compared to 0% fiber controls. Chi-squared spatial randomness analyses show the challenge of fiber clumping at higher concentrations, but mortar flow tests demonstrate workability even at high metal fiber concentrations. This research confirms the potential of metal fiber additives to elevate mortar strength and also lays the groundwork for further innovations in the development of lighter, high-strength materials suitable for electromagnetic interference (EMI) / electromagnetic pulse (EMP) and blast protection, contributing to defense infrastructure resilience.

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