The effect of the addition of polypropylene fibres on improvement on concrete quality

Abstract

Concrete serves as one of the most important construction materials, which thanks to its resistance and durability, gives total freedom in using it in building industry, and by extension in defining urban areas. Despite numerous advantages (ease of handling, high compressive strength, low production cost, heat resistance) it also has many disadvantages, including low tensile strength as well as sensitivity to destructive action of chemical agents. A constant growth in expectations concerning increasing the quality of concrete led to its polymer modification, whose aim was to eliminate above-mentioned disadvantages. The scope of the present research involved designing and making of concrete mixtures modified by 19, 30, 40 and 60 mm long polypropylene fibres. For the experiment the authors used: Portland cement CEM I 42.5R, sand, gravel aggregate of the 2-8 and 8-16 fractions, water, Master Pozzolith STD plasticizer and polypropylene fibres of various length. The authors made 4 series of concrete samples modified by fibres, for which the following factors have been assigned: compression strength after 7, 28 and 56 days of maturing as well as absorptivity, volumetric density and frost resistance after 100 cycles of freezing and thawing.