ROLE OF RESIN IN CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING

Noor Ahmed Memon

**

Zain Ul Abdin

** Yasir Ali Soomro

ABSTRACT:
Developments of high performance material and advanced methods /techniques
are getting worldwide attention in the field of building & construction engineering.
Structures are adversely affected by hostile, aggressive, tropical and pollution
contaminated environment leading to their premature failure.
Resins are one of the advanced and high performance material being used as a
structural material nowadays, particularly for repairing purpose of structures and
their protection from hazardous environmental effect as well.
This study is aimed to investigate the suitability of polyester resin as coating
material on mortar and its performance in ambient environment of Nawabshah.
The study has been conducted in terms of water ingress in mortar coated with resin
(one layer, two layer, three layers). The results are compared with those of the
mortar without resin coating. The results are encouraging leading towards resin to
be emerged a potential structural material, in even elevated ambient temperature of
Nawabshah.
Keywords:
Polyester resin, mortar, water ingress
*

Professor Department of Civil Engineering, QUEST, Nawabshah.

**

Final Year Student Department of Civil Engineering, QUEST, Nawabshah.

**

Final Year Student Department of Civil Engineering, QUEST, Nawabshah.

Introduction:
The commercial unsaturated polyester resin industry had its beginnings in the lates
1940s. With over 70 years of commercial development history, it might be expected that
this class of polymer would have reached its maturity [1]. Polyester resin is used in
concrete and is called as resin concrete, which severs as a unique concrete composite and
becoming more popular in construction industry in developed countries, particularly in
the area of repair due to its easy application, quick setting, water resistance and controlled
shrinkage [2]. Polyester resin is also an agent to soil-cement which can increase the
mechanical properties (like shear strength, stiffness etc) of mixture [3].polyester resin is
also used as ingredient in polymer concrete (PC) which due to its rapid setting, high
strength properties and ability to withstand a corrosive environment, is increasingly being
used as alternate to cement concrete in many applications, construction and repair of
structures, highway pavements, bridge decks, waste water pipes and even structural and
decoration panels [4]. Another type of resin is Epoxy resins: also known as epoxide or
ethoxyline resins; contains the epoxy group. The epoxy resins are also used for special
application as high strength adhesives and cementing agents in building industry and road
surfacing. It has low shrinkage during curing, outstanding toughness, the ability to be
processed by a large number of different techniques. [5]. In general resin can also be used
with filler material and grout as well which is common technical method with many
application as wood, for reduction of water ingress to underground facilities or the water
loss through dam foundation etc. [6]. Unsaturated polyester resin was also used as crosslinking agent of binders. Poly methyl methacrylate PMMA) mortars were prepared with
binders of various unsaturated polyester resin contents ant then tested for working life,
exothermal temperature, flexural and compressive strength and the temperature
dependence on flexural and compressive strengths. [7]. Many researchers worked on
polyester resin and has proved that it is one of the advanced material in the field of

construction and civil engineering structures particularly in the field of repair of existing
structures because of its easy application, quick setting property, high mechanical
strength, chemical resistance, wear resistance, controlled shrinkage and availability in
different viscosities. [8].This led to the idea of using this advanced material as the
preventive material against the water ingress and permeability in hydraulic and civil
Engineering structures also in the aggressive environment of Nawabshah thereby to
ensure the safety and serviceability and long life of the structure.
In this regards, a preliminary experimental study during
undergraduate studies as requirement for award of Bachelor Degree, was carried out in
order to investigate the water absorption of concrete coated with layers and exposed to
local ambient environment of nawabshah and dipped in water upto 60 days.
Materials:
Resin:
Polyester resin is the material used throughout work and it is easily available in local
market.
Cobalt:
Cobalt is the one ingredient mixed with resin in to initiate the hardening process.
Hardener:
Hardener is one of another ingredient upon which plasticity and gel time depends. It is in
liquid form.
Sand:
Sand is used in mortar during preparation of specimen and is passed through sieve # 16
Cement:
Portland cement of brand lucky cement industry available in local market is used.
Proportions:
Mortar (Cement: sand):
A fixed ratio 1:6 by weight is used and kept constant throughout the study.
Resin (Resin: cobalt):

A constant proportion of ratio 1:0.1 by weight is maintained throughout the study.

Hardener:
The content of hardener was adjusted accordingly to maintain the gel time/pot life (initial
hardening time) from 30minutes to 45 minutes. Whereas the final hardening time was
observed to be between 24-36 hours.
Testing Programme:
Preliminary Study:
Preliminary investigation was carried to optimize the proportion of resin to hardener in
terms of Pot life/Gel Time and solidification. The ratios were optimized by keeping Pot
life/ Gel time around 30 minutes and complete solidification upto 36 hours. The details of
preliminary study was carried out are given in table 1.
Table# 1 Details of preliminary study:
S.No

Proportion
( %)

Quantity ( milliliter)

01
02

1:1
1: 0.5

Resin
05
10

03

1: 0.4

04

pot life
(minutes)

Hardener
05
05

Nil*
Nil*

03

1.2

Nil*

1: 0.3

08

2.4

Nil*

05

1: 0.1

09

0.9

25

06

1: 0.08

08

0.64

26

07

1: 0.05

10

0.5

27

08

1: 0.03

09

09

1: 0.02

10

0.2

28

10

1: 0.01

10

0.1

30

0.27

28

* These ratios are those on which either resin does not harden or it become precipitate.
Final testing programme:
Parameters of study:
Water absorption
Variables:
No: of layers of resin coating
0,1,2,3 layers
Exposure conditions
Ambient environment and Water

Exposing duration and testing time:

One day and 60 days
Testing Methods:
The absorption test was performed as per British Standard Institution (1983) Water
Method for Determination of Absorption Water Immersion Method London. BS1881
Part 122. In each case three specimens were tested to have average value

References:
[1] Johnson K.G and yang L.S (2003). Preparation, properties and applications of
unsaturated polyesters. In. Scheirs J and Long T.E (2003). Modern Polymers: chemistry
and technology of polyester and copolyester. New york: john wiley and sons, Ltd. Pp.
699-713
[2] Moetaz M El-Hawary, Hisham Abdel-Fattah Temperature effect on the mechanical
behavior of resin concrete September-October 2000, Construction and Building
Materials, Volume 14, Issues 6-7, Pages 317-323
[3] A. R. Estabragh, I. Beytolahpour, and A. A. Javadi (2011) Effect of Resin on the
Strength of Soil-Cement Mixture J. Materials in Civ. Eng. 23, 969
[4] Victor Y. Garas and C. Vipulanandum Review of polyester Polymer concrete
properties.
[5] Muhd Rashidi Satapah, Assoc. Prof. Ir. Dr Fadhadli HJ. Zakaria, Prof Ir. Dr Mohd.
Warid Hussain, Gerald Sundaraj, Roswadi Introduction to resin system in repairing.
Seminar Kebangsaan Penyelidikan Kejuruteraan Awam 2005 ( SEPKA 2005), 5-6 Julai,
Sofitel Palm Resort, Senai, Johar, Malaysia.
[6] Costas A. Anagnostopoulos Cementclay grouts modified with acrylic resin or
methyl methacrylate ester: Physical and mechanical properties Construction and
Building Materials, Volume 21, Issue 2, February 2007, Pages 252-257
[7] K.J. Mun, N.W. Choi Properties of poly methyl methacrylate mortars with
unsaturated polyester resin as a crosslinking agent October 2008, Construction and
Building Materials, Volume 22, Issue 10, Pages 2147-2152
[8] Siong Kang Lim, Mohd Warid Hussin, Fadhadli Zakaria, Tung Chai Ling
GGBFS as potential filler in polyester grout: Flexural strength and toughness ,
May 2009,Construction and Building Materials, Volume 23, Issue 5, Pages 2007-2015

Table 2, Details of Water Absorption test

( at 01 day exposed to environment)

3.50
3.00

S.No

No. of
layers

3
4

2
3

specimens

3.30
2.40
3.00
1.24
2.30
1.21
2.75
1.30
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.40

%
difference
w.r.t
control

%
differenc
e w.r.t
previous

2.90

1.58

83.16

83.16

Average

av: water absortion

Water Absorption (%)

2.50
2.00
1.50
1.00
0.50

1.35

114.81

17.28

0.00
0

0.13

2130.77

938.46

no: of layers

Fig 1 Water Absorption versus no: of

layers (01 day exposed to ambient
environment)
Table 3 Details of Water Absorption test
( at 01 day dipped in water)
Water Absorption (%)
SNo

No. of
layers

specimens

8.10
8.30
8.34
1.60
0.82
2.40
1.22
1.80
0.40
1.18
0.80
1.06

%age
difference
w.r.t
control

%age
difference
w.r.t
previous

8.25

1.61

413.28

413.28

1.14

623.39

40.94

1.01

713.82

12.50

Average

Fig 2 Water Absorption versus no: of

layers (01 day dipped in water)

Table 4 Details of Water Absorption test

( at 60 days exposed to ambient environment)

Water Absorption (%)
S.No.

No. of
layers

specimens

8.08
9.63
8.95
0.41
1.04
0.81
1.32
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00

Average

%age
difference
w.r.t
control

%age
difference
w.r.t
previous

8.89

0.75

1079.65

1079.65

0.44

1919.70

71.21

0.00

#DIV/0!

#DIV/0!

Fig 3 Water Absorption versus no: of

layers (60 days exposed to ambient
environment)
Table 5 Details of Water Absorption test
( at 60 days dipped in water)

11.2
11.0

S.No.

No. of
layers

specimens

10.75
11.47
11.15
10.38
11.22
10.57
10.23
10.06
10.00
10.12
9.95
10

Average

11.12

%age
difference
w.r.t
control

%age
difference
w.r.t
previous

10.72

3.73

3.73

10.10

10.17

6.21

10.02

10.97

0.73

av: water absortion

Water Absorption (%)

10.8
10.6
10.4
10.2
10.0
9.8
0

no: of layers

Fig 4 Water Absorption versus no: of layers (60

days dipped in water)