Institute of Fundamental Technological Research

The aim of the present study was to investigate the degradation of the microstructure and mechanical properties of fiber cement board (FCB), which was exposed to environmental hazards, resulting in thermal impact on the microstructure of the board. The process of structural degradation was conducted under laboratory conditions by storing the FCB specimens in a dry, electric oven for 3 h at a temperature of 230 °C. Five sets of specimens, that differed in cement and fiber content, were tested. Due to the applied heating procedure, the process of carbonization and resulting embrittlement of the fibers was observed. The fiber reinforcement morphology and the mechanical properties of the investigated compositions were identified both before, and after, their carbonization. Visual light and scanning electron microscopy, X-ray micro tomography, flexural strength, and work of flexural test Wf measurements were used. A dedicated instrumentation set was prepared to determine the ultrasound testing (UT) longitudinal wave velocity cL in all tested sets of specimens. The UT wave velocity cL loss was observed in all cases of thermal treatment; however, that loss varied from 2% to 20%, depending on the FCB composition. The results obtained suggest a possible application of the UT method for an on-site assessment of the degradation processes occurring in fiber cement boards.

cement-based composites, fiber cement boards, durability, ultrasound measurements

Fiber cement boards (FCB) microstructure and methods of fabrication are described. The method of X-ray microtomography in application for investigating of FCB microstructure is presented. The cellulose fibers constituting the remarkable reinforcement of the FCB are colorless and too small to be seen applying the standard optical methods. The X-ray microtomography method however enabled the authors to realize three goals within the investigation of the properties of FCB. The length and shape of the fibers could be assessed on specimens' cross-sections. Applying the pseudo 3D visualization it was possible to visualize the cracked regions inside the specimen volume. The case of non-uniform fibers distribution in respect to the board thickness which was impossible to recognize applying the standard visual inspection, was also performed by merging the multiple cross-section images into a single graph

The paper describes two different techniques of ultrasound measurements performed in fibre cement boards, the material widely applied in building technology. An in-house device dedicated for fibre-cement board testing is also presented. To overcome the difficulty of determining the arrival time of the waveform of a longitudinal wave travelling across a thin and inhomogeneous body, a cross-correlation method of signal processing was proposed and applied

ultrasound, fibre-cement board, waveform cross correlation coefficient