Comparison between the application of steel fiber and plastic fiber reinforced concrete in the design of airport runways

Abstract

A cost-effective long-term solution for designing airport runways is critical to the future construction of airports. One of the most important issues is to minimize the runway slab thickness while improving its physical properties, mechanical properties, and service life span. The advantages of using fiber reinforced concrete (FRC) in the design of airporf rurn+ays are : The increase in the modulus of rupture, shear strength, and the resistance to crack propagation. Addition of fibers increase the ductility of concrete and its pseudo isotropic characteristics, it improves the permeability, cyclic fatigue and m First Place Winner, Graduate Division, AIAA Conference, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, CA, April 98 Copyright 8 1999 by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc. All rights reserved. (c)l999 American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics resistance to crack propagation, This paper, compares the behavior of polypropylene fiber reinforced concrete to steel fiber reinforced concrete (SFRC) in the design of airport runways. Introduction Randomly oriented fiber reinforced concrete is an effective way of improving concrete properties. Fiber-reinforced concrete has a wide range of applications, particularly for airport and highway pavements, bridge deck overlay, curtain walls, sewer pipes, and cavitation and erosion-resistance structures, such as spillways, bridge piers, and navigation locks. Fiber -reinforced concrete is also used in precast products, and earthquake-resistance structures. This paper compares two different fibers in designing airport runways; the two fibers used are steel and polypropylene fibers. Polypropylene fiber concrete is chemically non-corrosive and have high chemical resistance to mineral acids and inorganic cells. Polypropylene fibers are very stable and do not absorb water. The fibers have high strength characteristics and are economical to use. The polypropylene fiber used in the study was 3/4 inch long w . Steel fiber concrete plain concrete containing discontinuous, discrete fibers of short length and small diameter. The mechanical properties of SFRC are influenced by types of fibers,