Electromagnetic shielding and absorption properties of fiber reinforced cementitious composites

In order to investigate the electromagnetic shielding effectiveness (SE) and absorbing properties of fiber reinforced concrete, steel fiber, carbon fiber and synthetic polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fiber reinforced concrete were researched. The results show that with the increase of fiber volume fraction, the SE and trend of frequency change of corresponding fiber reinforced concrete are enhanced. When the volume content of steel fiber is 3%, the SE of concrete is above 50 dB and its frequency is above 1.8 GHz. Moreover, in the range of 8–18 GHz, steel fiber, carbon fiber and PVA fiber all can improve the microwave absorption properties of concrete. The concrete with 0.5% carbon fiber can achieve the best absorbing property, the minimum reflectivity is about −7 dB; while steel fiber optimal volume fraction is 2%. The reflectivity curve of PVA fiber reinforced concrete fluctuates with the frequency, and the minimum value of the reflectivity is below −10 dB. The results show that fiber reinforced concrete could be used as EMI(electromagnetic interference) prevention buildings by attenuating and reflecting electromagnetic wave energy.