Mechanical investigations of the durability performance of sustainable self-compacting and anti-spalling composite mortars

Abstract

The durability of the mortar has recently been a critical concern, as it inherently contributes to the overall sustainability and resilience of the structure. This paper aims to address the growing demand for sustainable and durable infrastructure by investigating the effect of incorporating polypropylene, nylon, and jute fibers into self-compacting mortars. The performance of the mortar was tested under high temperatures, chemical attacks (Acid and sulfate attack), and freeze-thaw cycles. The mechanical properties were also examined through strength tests including compressive and flexural strength. Transport properties of mortars were investigated by water absorption, porosity, and sorptivity tests. Seven test mortar mixes were prepared, one of which was a control sample and six had polypropylene, nylon, jute fibers, and an entraining agent. Three of the six mortar mixes had 0.5 % polypropylene, nylon, and jute fibers while the other three had 1 % of these fibers. The effect of acid and sulfate was investigated by parameters of weight losses and reductions in compressive strength of mortar samples while the effect of freeze and thaw was investigated by comparing the drop in compressive strength of mortar specimens with and without fibers. The results revealed a drop in water absorption and porosity of mortar samples containing 0.5 % test fibers as than the control sample, while a slight increase was observed in water absorption and porosity for mortar samples incorporating 1 % of these fibers. The sorptivity of test samples was less than that of the control sample. The compressive strength of mortar samples having 0.5 % fibers was found to have increased, however, a slight reduction was observed in the compressive strength for samples having 1 % of these fibers. The addition of Polypropylene, Nylon, and Jute fibers significantly increased the flexural strength of mortar samples. There were lesser weight losses and compressive strength losses for mortar samples containing Polypropylene, Jute, and Nylon fibers as compared to the control mortar sample when subjected to 5 % HCL, 5 % sodium sulfate, and 28 freeze-thaw cycles. The addition of Polypropylene, Jute, and Nylon fibers has improved the durability performance of self-compacting concrete against different deteriorating phenomena, which eventually can result in durable and sustainable infrastructure.