Concrete canals lining with modern materials: A Review of hybrid fiber reinforced concrete

Abstract

Water losses in irrigation canals occur during the process of water transportation, with seepage loss being the main contributor to total water loss in irrigation conveyance. Cracks and settlement are the most problematic factors affecting canal lining structures, leading to reduced performance of irrigation canals due to issues such as sediment deposition, waterlogging, and leakage. Seepage losses typically range from 20 % - 30 %, but this can be reduced to 15 % - 20 % with the use of canal lining. However, the concrete lining structure, being a thin plate, is prone to high rates of cracking, which weakens the performance of canals. Therefore, it is crucial to enhance the flexure and splitting-tensile strengths of concrete to control the rate of cracking in the canal lining. The splitting-tensile strength of concrete is particularly important in crack control. Hybridization of fibers, such as combining polypropylene and jute fibers, can efficiently enhance flexural toughness, flexural strength, and fracture energy more than using a single type of fiber. The overall aim of this review is to summarize the literature on the use of modern materials to reduce water losses in concrete canal lining. Initially, hybrid fibers (one natural fiber and one artificial fiber) are selected to explain the behavior of hybrid fiber reinforced concrete (HFRC). The crack arresting mechanism of HFRC can help reduce losses in concrete canal lining. The findings of this review will be valuable as a reference for both industry practitioners and academic researchers interested in the development of hybrid fiber reinforced concrete materials, particularly for canal lining applications.