Enhancement of tensile performance of concrete by using synthetic polypropylene fibers

The research attempted to investigate the effect of polypropylene fibers (PP fibers) on the mechanical characteristics of concrete. According to ASTM C39/C39M and ASTM C 1609/C1609M, standard testing methods were used to examine the concrete compressive and flexural strength, post-cracking behavior, and toughness. The mechanical properties were evaluated at different ages of concrete curing, namely 1 day, 7 days, and 28 days, and for different quantities of fiber volume portions, specifically 0.0%, 0.5%, and 1.0%. The results demonstrate that a fiber volume of 0.5% is the most effective in obtaining the highest compressive strength. The recorded values at the related testing ages were 31.07 MPa, 41.51 MPa, and 46.68 MPa. Additionally, the utilization of 0.5% and 1.0% volume of PP fiber in concrete resulted in improved flexural strength and post-cracking performance. The toughness values for these mixes were 2.0 and 2.6 times higher than those for the plain concrete. Upon analyzing the fracture surface, there was a homogeneous distribution of fibers, which played a significant role in enhancing the overall functionality of the concrete. The research validated that the inclusion of polypropylene fibers substantially enhanced the mechanical characteristics of concrete, emphasizing the potential of fiber reinforcement in concrete-based implementations.