The effects of steel, polypropylene, and high-performance macro polypropylene fibers on mechanical properties and durability of high-strength concrete

Abstract

Present study aimed to compare the properties of high-strength and ordinary concrete containing polypropylene fibers (PPFs), high-performance synthetic macro polypropylene (HPP) fibers, and steel fibers (SF) under standard and sulfate curing conditions. The high-strength concrete with water-to-cement ratios of 0.38, 0.33, and 0.28 were tested. The addition of PPF and SF reduced the workability of these mixtures containing supplementary cementitious material. The highest compressive strength belongs to the mixture containing 1% of SF and 0.2% of PPF. The highest tensile strength belongs to the mixture containing 0.5% of HPP fibers with 1% of SF and 0.2% of PPF. The highest flexural strength of the mixture containing 0.5% of HPP fibers with 1% of SF. Fiber- reinforced concretes have less 30-minute water absorption than non-fiber samples. The minimum absorption belongs to the sample containing 0.5% of PPF with 20% of silica fume in the amount of 0.53%.