Investigations on GUJCON-CRF Nylon 6 fiber based cement concrete for pavement

Abstract

Plain concrete has very low tensile strength, limited ductility, and poor resistance to cracking. Due to its poor tensile strength and cracking propagation, concrete eventually leads to brittle failure on the application of heavy loads. Hence, fiber reinforcement is used to improve the physical properties of plain cement concrete. This study aims to investigate the behavior of concrete when GUJCON-CRF Nylon 6 fibers are incorporated in varying quantities as secondary reinforcement in cement concrete to alter its brittle nature and reduce plastic shrinkage cracking. The fresh characteristics (slump cone test and compaction factor test), mechanical characteristics (compressive strength test and flexural strength test), and durability characteristics (abrasion test, sulfate attack test, acid attack test, and water permeability test) of concrete were investigated experimentally in this study using a superplasticizer (Structuro 202), based on polycarboxylic technology and GUJCON-CRF Nylon 6 fiber. In this study, GUJCON-CRF Nylon 6 fiber was included in concrete in amounts of 0.2 %, 0.25 %, 0.30 %, 0.35 %, and 0.40 % by cement weight, maintaining a consistent water-to-cement ratio of 0.38. An M40-grade concrete mix design was prepared for our exploration and testing. The concrete specimens (cubes and beams) prepared from each type of mix were tested at 7 days and 28 days, respectively, to study the mechanical properties of hardened concrete. The test results of all specimens were analyzed, and it was observed that the mix with 0.25 % replacement of the weight of cement provided the most competitive concrete mix. Compared to ordinary concrete, the compressive and flexure strength increased by 16.8 % and 36.59 %, respectively. It was discovered that abrasion resistance increased significantly up to 0.30 % replacement, then it became insignificant. A minimum value of permeability and water absorption was also reported for 0.25 % of cement weight replacement by GUJCON fiber.