Properties and Applications of Fiber Reinforced Concrete

Concrete is known to have a poor tensile strength. The addition of fibers to

concrete has huge influence to the alterations in the mechanical properties depending on

the type and percentage of fiber. The presence of fibers was reported to help increase

the flexural strength by up to 2.5 times using 4 percent fibers. Fiber Reinforced Concrete

is about 10 to 40 times tougher than plain concrete. It’s splitting tensile strength of mortar

increase when added by 3 percent fiber by volume. In addition to strength improvement,

tests have shown that fiber reinforcement effectively control crack and reduces deflection.

Its ability to resist impact is generally 5 to 10 times that of plain concrete depending on

the volume of fiber used. (Wafa, 1990)

This will make the researchers to adopt the use of natural fibers because it

revealed that fibrous material increase structural integrity.

An Experimental Investigation on the Durability of Concrete by use of Sisal Fiber

This study examines the durability of plain concrete and a fiber reinforced concrete

utilizing Maguey fiber. The relationship of strength between conventional concrete and

Maguey reinforced concrete is being reported. Identifying a durable concrete starts with

determining the exposure circumstances. The corrosion can be a great problem in

concrete structures because it will lead to concrete deterioration. To test the durability of

concrete after exposure to corrosive environment, Acid Attack Test was done. Specimens

undergo Alternate Wetting and Drying Test to test the durability of concrete after being

subjected to 25 cycles of alternate drying and wetting. It has been concluded that the
weight reduction of conventional concrete is more than that of the special concrete of

grade M40 and M30 for Acid Attack Test. In the case of alternative wetting and drying it

is found out that compressive strength in Special concrete is more than that of

Conventional concrete. Resistance against Acid attack in Sisal Fiber Reinforced Concrete

is more than that of conventional concrete. To summarize, durability of Special concrete

is more than that of Conventional concrete. (Balasubramanian et al., 2017) This study will

make the researchers to conduct Acid Attack Test and Alternative Wetting and Drying

Test for them to examine the durability of their concrete samples.

Performance of ‘‘Agave lecheguilla’’ natural fiber in portland cement composites

exposed to severe environment conditions

This study aims to provide the housing alternatives to istle zone rural areas in

Mexico. The proposed solution involved a sustainable portland cement-based composite

material, reinforced with high tensile strength natural fibers of ‘‘Agave lecheguilla’’. The

outcome showed that the ‘‘Agave lecheguilla’’ has a high tensile strength, but can be

severely deteriorated when exposed to alkaline environment. However, there are some

other ways to improve the durability of the fiber reinforced concrete. This includes the

treatment of the fiber utilized in the concrete mixture. This process requires the natural

fiber to be coated to avoid water absorption and free alkalis. Paraffin protected fibers with

matrix modified with pozzolan admixture such as fly ash, perform acceptably well at

exposure to aggressive environments and variations in temperature and humidity. Results

showed that the paraffin protective treatment reduces the water absorption thus
sustaining the tensile strength even after one year of exposure to alkaline environments.

(Cesar Juarez et al., 2005) This study may serve as basis for the researchers to practice

the use of paraffin as the protective agent for enhancing the durability of fibers by reducing

the water absorption.

Experimental Investigation on Polypropylene Fiber Reinforced Concrete for M40

Concrete is perhaps the most widely used construction material in the world. The

use of fiber as a secondary reinforcement has been increasing in recent years. This study

aims to compare the properties of fiber reinforced concrete with plain concrete for M40

mix. To determine the effects of the addition of polypropylene fiber into the concrete mix,

an experiment was conducted. This paper reveals the trial outcome of compressive

strength, split tensile strength, flexural strength with the addition of 0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, and

2% of polypropylene fiber by replacement of cement by weight. It was then perceived that

the utilization of polypropylene fiber serves as crack arrestors and lessens the shrinkage

in concrete. It was found out that when percentage of added fiber increased, there is an

increase in strength of the concrete up to 1.5% of fiber. Yet when fiber content exceeds

this value, decreased in strength is detected. (Satish T. Rathod et al., 2005) Thus, this

study will the make the researchers approve the use of 1.5% of fiber on their concrete

samples.