Waste polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fiber reinforced mortar in enhancing the bond behavior of masonry

Abstract

Fast-paced urbanization and population growth have increased the daily use of plastic. Although plastic is used for different purposes, a sharp rise in the utilization of bottled water and other beverages in both developing and developed countries has been observed. In spite of the fact that plastic as containers has several benefits, improper plastic waste management has resulted in the disposal of a large amount of plastic waste in landfills and marines. This has negatively affected the ecosystem as plastics are non-biodegradable. Therefore, there is an urgent need to recycle and reuse plastic waste. The field of civil engineering has a vast scope of utilizing waste polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles as a raw material; nonetheless, not much has been studied regarding the utilization of plastic waste in masonry structures. Hence, the current research focused on the experimental investigation of PET fiber-reinforced mortar in enhancing the mechanical properties of masonry, as the bond between brick and mortar significantly affects the strength of masonry. Different proportions and two different sizes of PET fibers were reinforced in mortar to obtain the optimum quantity and size of fiber. In the first phase, the compressive and flexural strengths of reinforced mortar were determined and compared with unreinforced mortar. Further, compressive strength and bond strength (shear and tensile) of masonry specimens cast with reinforced mortar were evaluated. Additionally, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis were conducted to study the change at the microstructure level. The outcomes of the experimental tests are encouraging. A significant improvement in the mechanical properties (up to 1.87 times for compressive strength, up to 3.2 times for tension bond strength and up to 6 times for shear bond strength) of PET fiber-reinforced masonry was observed.