EXPERIMENTAL AND PREDICTIVE MECHANICAL STRENGTH OF FIBER REINFORCED CEMENTITIOUS MATRIX (FRCM)

Abstract

Fiber Reinforced Cementitious Matrix (FRCM) are sustainable building materials as it uses lesser quantities of natural resources as raw materials for production, when compared to conventional concrete. This study is an attempt to explore the possibility of using crimped mild steel (MS) fibers (12.5 mm length) as reinforcement in cementitious matrix, with sand-cement and water-cement ratio in line with the ACI Codes. From the experimental results, it was found that when the percentage of MS fibers is increased in cement-based mortar from 0.5% to 2.5% of volume of specimens (with 0.5% interval), there is a corresponding increase in the cylinder compressive strength and splitting-tensile strength at 7 and 28 days, and flexural strength at 28 days. There was an increase in compressive strength of 74%, splitting-tensile strength of 38% and flexural strength of 35% at 28 days, when MS fibers of 2.5% was used, when compared to control mortar specimens (with no fibers). Also, the predictive strength models were developed from the experimental data using statistical regression analysis. It was observed that the experimental results of FRCM highly correlate with the predicted values, with minimum prediction error.