AUT Journal of Civil Engineering

AUT Journal of Civil Engineering

Effect of nano magnesium oxide and microsilica on the mechanical behavior of fiber-reinforced concrete

Document Type : Research Article

Authors
Mojtaba Etemadi
Hamid Beiraghi
Department of Civil Engineering, Mahdishahr Branch, Islamic Azad University, Mahdishahr, Iran
10.22060/ajce.2026.24740.5946
Abstract
This study investigates the synergistic influence of nano magnesium oxide (nMgO), microsilica (silica fume), and polypropylene (PP) fibers on both fresh and hardened properties of concrete, aiming to propose an optimized hybrid mixture for structural applications. The novelty lies in the integrated, multi-scale approach—combining nano (nMgO), micro (microsilica) and macro (PP fibers) constituents—and a systematic experimental program covering 16 mix variants. Specimens were prepared with nMgO dosages of 0–2% and PP fibers of 0–1.4% by cement weight, while microsilica was kept at 4% replacement of cement. Mechanical tests (compressive, splitting tensile, flexural) were performed at 7, 28 and 90 days; water absorption was measured at 28 days. All reported values are the mean of replicates (n=3) and statistical dispersion is reported alongside mean values (raw data available upon request). The optimum performance was observed for the mix containing 0.5% nMgO and 0.8% PP fibers, which produced improvements up to 18% in compressive strength, 22% in splitting tensile strength and 20% in flexural strength relative to the control mix, while reducing water absorption from 4.3% to 3.1%. Mechanistic interpretation attributes these gains to combined pore-filling and nucleation effects of nMgO, pozzolanic reaction of microsilica improving C–S–H content, and fiber-bridging improving post-crack behavior. Limitations and reproducibility (replicates, statistical reporting) are discussed.
Keywords
Polypropylene Fibers
Mechanical Behavior
Concrete
Nano Magnesium Oxide
Subjects
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AUT Journal of Civil Engineering
Volume 10, Issue 3
Summer 2026
Pages 211-226