ASSESSING THE EFFECT OF DIFFERENT FIBERS ON CONCRETE CONSISTENCY AND DURABILITY

Abstract

Concrete is becoming an inevitable building material. Its development is usually linked to an industrial and architectural improvement. To improve the material behavior, different types of additives and byproducts have been used to increase the tensile load capacity which is considered the weakness of concrete. Firstly, normal steel reinforcement was embedded. Later on, post tensioning was introduced. Then, many additives and chemical products were used. One of these methods is using fibers. Random discrete fibers can be dispersed into concrete during the mixing procedure to create a composite material called fiber reinforced concrete (FRC). Distinctive fiber filaments are used to improve the ductility and strain-hardening of cementitious composite mortars and grouts. Fibers vary commercially and environmentally such as polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) which are more expensive and have higher environmental impact. On the other hand, recycled waste from polypropylene (PP) and other plastics can potentially be used as fibers, which drastically decrease the cost and helps in solving the plastic waste issue. Limited studies compared the effect of different stated fibers (PVA, PP, basalt, steel & glass) on the consistency and workability of normal-strength grade concrete mixtures containing coarse aggregates. Workability is affected when introducing fibers to concrete. The durability of a concrete is defined as its ability to sustain reliable levels of serviceability and structural integrity in environmental exposure, which may be harsh, without any major need for repair intervention throughout the design service life. Conventional concrete has relatively low tensile capacity and thus is susceptible to cracking. Cracks are considered to be pathways for gases, liquids and deleterious solutes entering the concrete, which would lead to the early onset of deterioration processes in the concrete or reinforcing steel. Appropriate inclusion of steel or non-metallic fibers has been proven to increase both the tensile capacity and ductility of FRC. Many researchers have investigated durability enhancement by use of FRC. Thus, this research work aims at assessing the performance and explaining the effect of using 7 various types of fibers on the workability and consistency of normal mix concrete, and on concrete durability.