Permeability, Abrasion, and Impact Resistance of Latex-Modified Fibre Reinforced Concrete for Precast Concrete Pavement Applications

Abstract

The objective of this study was to improve the performance of a pavement structure by applying precast concrete to enable rapid repair of the pavement. Latex-modified fibre-reinforced concrete (LMFRC) was used to achieve this objective. This study also determined the type of fibre reinforcement and the amount of added latex that exhibited the best performance. Three types of reinforcing fibres were evaluated: polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polypropylene (PP), and nylon fibre. Latex was added to the LMFRCs at 0, 5, 10, and 15% of the cement weight. The LMFRC was tested for slump, compressive strength, flexural strength, chloride-ion penetration, abrasion resistance, and impact resistance. Test results showed that increasing latex content improved the flexural strength, permeability resistance, abrasion resistance, and impact resistance. When comparing the types of reinforced fibre, the hydrophilic PVA and nylon fibres showed superior resistance to microcracking and crack propagation due to their stronger bonding with the concrete matrix compared with the non-hydrophilic PP fibre. Consequently, the concrete containing the nylon fibre had the best performance, proving that nylon fibre is the most desirable reinforcing fibre for precast concrete pavement.