Mechanical Properties and Time-Dependent Deformations of Polypropylene Fiber Concrete

Abstract

An investigation was conducted to study the effects of polypropylene fiber used for reinforcing concrete mixes and to obtain basic strength and time-dependent deformation data for applying fiber to the construction and civil engineering work. The compressive, splitting tensile and flexural strength tests were performed by changing fiber weight content from 0.1% to 3% of the cement weight content. In addition, the effects of fiber on time-dependent deformations such as drying shrinkage and creep were also investigated. As a result, it was found that the use of polypropylene fiber considerably increases the tensile strength as the fiber content is increased. The compressive and flexural strengths, on the other hand, were consistently the same for various fiber contents as compared to the corresponding plain concrete strength values. One potential advantage of a high fiber weight content was its contribution to the enhancement of the time-dependent deformation properties of concrete. Compared to corresponding plain concrete, there was a favorable decrease in drying shrinkage and creep of specimens containing various fiber contents. In particular, the 3% weight content exhibited a significant reduction in time-dependent deformations.