Durability performance and dimensional stability of polypropylene fiber reinforced concrete

Abstract

In this study, the durability performance and dimensional stability of polypropylene fiber reinforced concrete mixture were investigated. For this purpose, two series of concrete mixtures, including a 0.45 water/cement ratio was prepared both in the absence and presence of fiber. A CEMI 42.5 R type portland cement and crushed limestone aggregate with a maximum particle size of 25 mm were used. In addition to the control mixture without fiber, three different concrete mixtures were prepared by adding polypropylene fiber as 0.4%, 0.8% and 1% of total volume into the mixture. The time-dependent fresh state properties, strength, ultrasonic pulse velocity, transport properties, drying shrinkage and freeze-thaw resistance of concrete mixtures, sodium sulfate attack and abrasion were investigated comparatively. Test results demonstrated that utilization of fiber affected the fresh properties of the concrete mixtures negatively. However, the 0.8% fiber-bearing mixture showed the highest performance in terms of durability and dimensional stability. Beyond this utilization ratio, the durability performance of the concrete mixture was negatively affected. The risk of nonhomogeneous dispersion of the fiber in the mixture was relatively high in the excess fiber-bearing mixture. Consequently, with the formation of flocculation in the mixture the void ratio of concrete mixture increased.