Effects of Polypropylene Fibers on the Physical and Mechanical Properties of Recycled Aggregate Concrete

Abstract

The viability of using polypropylene fibers (PPF) in concrete was largely studied. Yet, few of the existing research studies investigated the effects of PPF on the properties of concrete containing recycled concrete aggregate (RCA). Mixes with different RCA replacement ratios and different PPF content were designed and tested. The test results showed that the addition of PPF did not change significantly the compressive strength and the density of the concrete, but slightly decreased its modulus of elasticity and Poisson’s ratio. The drop in the splitting tensile strength and the flexural strength due to RCA inclusions was to a large extent compensated by the PPF addition. The water absorption decreased and the percent voids increased with increased PPF addition. Correlations between the RCA content, the PPF content and the properties of concrete were studied. Useful regression models were proposed to predict the properties of concrete in relevant ranges of RCA and PPF content.