Effect of fiber type on mechanical properties and durability aspects of fiber reinforced concrete

Abstract

In this study an experimental program is conducted to investigate the effects of fiber addition to concrete mixes on the mechanical properties of concrete, rebar corrosion resistance and sorptivity of concrete. For this purpose 0.45 water/cement ratio (w/c) concrete was produced with addition of steel, polypropylene or glass fibers into the casting mix at fixed volume fractions. Two different curing regimes were applied; curing in water tank and in laboratory conditions, were applied to the cast specimens. Then, the fiber-reinforced concretes were tested to evaluate and compare their mechanical properties such as compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, rebound number, modulus of elasticity and flexure-toughness. Their performance was further investigated with respect to capillary surface rate of water absorption and accelerated corrosion testing involving impressed current initiated corrosion of concrete embedded reinforcement. Moreover, all test results were compared with the reference concrete containing no fibers. The object of this thesis is to test the above mentioned concrete durability aspects on fiber reinforced concretes. An investigation of the effect of fiber reinforcement in concrete, on inhibiting the corrosion of reinforcing steel in concrete, as a result of improving durability performance of the concrete embedding the steel reinforcement. An attempt was made to investigate the ability to assess the durability of fiber reinforced concrete with their sorptivity coefficients and their mechanical properties which may indirectly provide insight to durability aspects.