Mechanical Properties and Microstructure of Polypropylene Fiber Reinforced Cement Mortar Soil

Abstract

A series of unconfined compressive strength tests and flexural strength tests are carried out to evaluate the improved effect of polypropylene fiber on the defects of cement mortar soil. The following factors, including the fiber content, cement content, sand content and curing age, are studied to investigate the influences on the mechanical properties and microstructure of the samples. The results show that the unconfined compressive strength (UCS), residual strength and flexural strength of the fiber reinforced cement mortar soil (FRCMS) substantially increase with increasing fiber content. The peak strain and ratio of the flexural-compression strength (Rfcs) of the FRCMS first increase and then decrease with an increase in fiber content, and the optimal fiber content is 3.5%. The brittleness index of the FRCMS is found to be inversely proportional to fiber content. The results suggest that the addition of an appropriate amount of fibers can substantially improve the plasticity and lateral stress capacity of the FRCMS. The strength of the FRCMS improves with the increase in cement content, sand content and curing age within a certain range. The microstructure of the FRCMS are analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) tests.