Abstract
Fibre-reinforced concrete (FRC) allows reduction in, or substitution of, steel-bars to reinforce concrete and led to the commonly named structural FRC, with steel fibres being the most widespread. Macro-polymer fibres are an alternative to steel fibres, being the main benefits: chemical stability and lower weight for analogous residual strengths of polyolefin-fibre-reinforced concrete (PFRC). Furthermore, polyolefin fibres offer additional advantages such as safe-handling, low pump-wear, light weight in transport and storage, and an absence of corrosion. Other studies have also revealed environmental benefits. After 30 years of research and practice, there remains a need to review the opportunities that such a type of fibre may provide for structural FRC. This study seeks to show the advances and future challenges of use of these polyolefin fibres and summarise the main properties obtained in both fresh and hardened states of PFRC, focussing on the residual strengths obtained from flexural tensile tests.
Highlights
Fibre-reinforced concrete (FRC) allows reduction in, or substitution of, steel-bars to reinforce concrete and led to the commonly named structural FRC, with steel fibres being the most widespread
In the case of the post-cracking load values continuing and increasing after the limit of proportionality, the behaviour of the material would be denoted as hardening. Such behaviour is dissimilar to the softening behaviour that ruled the branch after fLOP, as reported in many FRC types and especially for polyolefin-fibre-reinforced concrete (PFRC) [21]
The amount of fibres has a negligible influence on the peak load recorded in the fracture tests and, fLOP does not change with fibre dosage being principally determined by the tensile strength of the plain concrete
Summary
Polymer science has provided advances in the chemical composition and mechanical properties of polyolefins. Focusing on polyolefin fibres manufactured to reinforce concrete elements, recent developments have allowed the plastic industry to obtain polyolefin-based synthetic macro-fibres with improved mechanical properties. This type of fibres has become an alternative to steel fibres, as research has shown in various applied studies [23, 32] and research publications [22, 31, 39,40]. As the importance of the material durability has emerged, some additional properties of polyolefin fibres have given rise to certain advantages in the construction field if compared with steel fibres.
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