Technical Papers
Sep 20, 2020

Effects of Synthetic Fibers and Different Levels of Partial Cement Replacement on Mechanical Properties of UHPFRC

Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 32, Issue 12

Abstract

This paper presents the results of an experimental study conducted to investigate the effects of polypropylene fibers and synthetic macrofibers (barchip) with different partial cement replacements on the mechanical properties of ultra-high-performance fiber-reinforced concrete (UHPFRC). For this study, 21 mix designs were prepared to contain three different fibers (polypropylene, barchip, and steel) and cured under either of the wet or combined (steam, autoclave, and water) conditions. A total of 282 cubic, cylindrical, and prism specimens were cast to measure their compressive and flexural strengths and determine toughness indices. It was found that the combined curing technique, proposed for the first time in this study, was capable of improving compressive strength in the specimens reinforced with synthetic fibers. Specimens containing barchip fibers as well as those containing steel fibers were found to present deflection-hardening behavior after cracking. Most of the specimens containing silica fume and limestone powder with different types of fibers showed satisfactory toughness indices, indicating their acceptable flexural toughness.

Get full access to this article

View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.

Data Availability Statement

All data, models, and code generated or used during the study appear in the published article.

References

Abbas, S., A. Soliman, and M. Nehdi. 2015. “Exploring mechanical and durability properties of ultra-high performance concrete incorporating various steel fiber lengths and dosages.” Constr. Build. Mater. 75 (Jan): 429–441. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2014.11.017.
Ahmadi, B. 2007. “Feasibility study of using natural zeolite as pozzolanic material in concrete.” M.Sc. thesis, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Univ. of Tehran.
Antoni, M., J. Rossen, F. Martirena, and K. Scrivener. 2012. “Cement substitution by a combination of metakaolin and limestone.” Cem. Concr. Res. 42 (12): 1579–1589. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconres.2012.09.006.
ASTM. 1998. Standard test method for flexural toughness and first-crack strength of fiber-reinforced concrete. ASTM C1018-97. West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM.
ASTM. 2007a. Standard test method for flow of hydraulic cement mortar. ASTM C1437. West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM.
ASTM. 2007b. Standard test method for compressive strength of hydraulic cement mortars (using 2-in. or [50-mm] cube specimens). ASTM C109. West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM.
ASTM. 2009. Standard specification for Portland cement. ASTM C150. West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM.
ASTM. 2012. Standard test method for flexural performance of fiber-reinforced concrete 5 (using beam with third-point loading). ASTM C1609/C1609M. West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM.
ASTM. 2015. Standard specification for silica fume used in cementitious mixtures. ASTM C1240. West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM.
ASTM. 2017. Standard specification for chemical admixtures for concrete. ASTM C494. West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM.
Bahmani, H., D. Mostofinejad, and S. A. Dadvar. 2020. “Mechanical properties of ultra-high-performance fiber-reinforced concrete containing synthetic and mineral fibers.” ACI Mater. J. 117 (3): 155–168. https://doi.org/10.14359/51724596.
Bazant, Z. P. 1992. “Fracture mechanics of concrete structures.” In Proc., 1st Int. Conf. on Fracture Mechanics of Concrete Structures (FraMCoS1). Breckenridge, CO: Taylor & Francis.
Chan, S. Y. N., and X. Ji. 1999. “Comparative study of the initial surface absorption and chloride diffusion of high-performance zeolite, silica fume and PFA concretes.” Cem. Concr. Compos. 21 (4): 293–300. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0958-9465(99)00010-4.
Cwirzen, A., V. Penttala, and C. Vornanen. 2008. “Reactive powder-based concretes: Mechanical properties, durability and hybrid use with OPC.” Cem. Concr. Res. 38 (10): 1217–1226. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconres.2008.03.013.
Ding, Y., C. Zhang, M. Cao, Y. Zhang, and C. Azevedo. 2016. “Influence of different fibers on the change of pore pressure of self-consolidating concrete exposed to fire.” Constr. Build. Mater. 113 (Jun): 456–469. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2016.03.070.
Ghafari, E., S. Ghahari, HE. Júlio, A. Portugal, and L. Durães. 2016. “Effect of supplementary cementitious materials on autogenous shrinkage of ultra-high performance concrete.” Constr. Build. Mater. 127 (Nov): 42–48. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2016.09.123.
Gupta, S. 2016. “Effect of content and fineness of slag as high volume cement replacement on strength and durability of ultra-high performance mortar.” J. Build. Mater. Struct. 3 (2): 43–54.
Hannant, D. 1987. Fiber cements and fiber concretes. New York: Wiley.
Hannawi, K., H. Bian, P. W. Agbodjan, and B. Raghavan. 2016. “Effect of different types of fibers on the microstructure and the mechanical behavior of ultra-high performance fiber-reinforced concretes.” Composites, Part B 86 (Feb): 214–220. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesb.2015.09.059.
Huang, W., H. Kazemi-Kamyabb, W. Suna, and K. Scrivener. 2017. “Effect of cement substitution by limestone on the hydration and microstructural development of ultra-high performance concrete.” Cem. Concr. Compos. 77 (Mar): 86–101. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2016.12.009.
Keer, J. G. 1992. “Fiber-reinforced cements and concretes: Recent development.” Compos. Struct. 22 (1): 61.
Kim, D., S. H. Park, G. S. Ryu, and K. T. Koh. 2011. “Comparative flexural behavior of hybrid ultra-high performance fiber reinforced concrete with different macro fibers.” Constr. Build. Mater. 25 (11): 4144–4155. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2011.04.051.
Li, W., Z. Huang, F. Cao, Z. Sun, and S. P. Shah. 2015. “Effects of nano-silica and nano-limestone on flowability and mechanical properties of ultra-high-performance concrete matrix.” Constr. Build. Mater. 95 (1): 366–374. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0950-0618(99)00048-3.
McIntyre, J. E. 2005. Synthetic fibres: Nylon, polyester, acrylic, polyolefin. London: Taylor & Francis.
Mostofinejad, D., and M. Nozhati. 2005. “Prediction of the modulus of elasticity of high-strength concrete.” Iran J. Sci. Tech. Trans. B 29 (B3): 311–321.
Mostofinejad, D., M. Rostami Nikoo, and S. A. Hosseini. 2016. “Determination of optimized mix design and curing conditions of reactive powder concrete (RPC).” Constr. Build. Mater. 123 (Oct): 754–767. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2016.07.082.
Park, S. H., D. J. Kim, and S. W. Kim. 2016. “Investigating the impact resistance of ultra-high performance fiber-reinforced concrete using an improved strain energy impact test machine.” Constr. Build. Mater. 125 (Oct): 145–159. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2016.08.027.
Pezeshkian, M., A. Delnavaz, and M. Delnavaz. 2019. “Development of UHPC mixtures using natural zeolite and glass sand as replacements of silica fume and quartz sand.” Eur. J. Environ. Civ. Eng. 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/19648189.2019.1610074.
Pezeshkian, M., A. Delnavaz, and M. Delnavaz. 2020. “Effect of natural zeolite on mechanical properties and autogenous shrinkage of ultrahigh-performance concrete.” J. Mater. Civ. Eng. 32 (5): 04020093. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)MT.1943-5533.0002968.
Pliya, P., A. L. Beaucour, and A. Noumowé. 2011. “Contribution of cocktail of polypropylene and steel fibres in improving the behaviour of high strength concrete subjected to high temperature.” Constr. Build. Mater. 25 (4): 1926–1934. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2010.11.064.
Poon, C. S., L. Lam, S. C. Kou, and Z. S. Lin. 1999. “A study on the hydration rate of natural zeolite blended cement pastes.” Constr. Build. Mater. 13 (8): 427–432. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0950-0618(99)00048-3.
Pyo, S., and S. El-Tawil. 2015. “Capturing the strain hardening and softening responses of cementitious composites subjected to impact loading.” Constr. Build. Mater. 81 (Apr): 276–283. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2015.02.028.
Ragalwar, K., V. Prieto, H. Fakhri, W. Heard, B. Williams, and R. Ranade. 2016. “Systematic development of environmentally sustainable ultra-high performance concrete.” In Proc., HiPerMat 2016 4th Int. Symp. on Ultra-High Performance Concrete and High Performance Materials, edited by E. Fehling, B. Middendorf, and J. Thiemicke. Kassel, Germany: Kassel University Press GmbH.
Rong, Z., and W. Sun. 2012. “Experimental and numerical investigation on the dynamic tensile behavior of ultra-high performance cement based composites.” Constr. Build. Mater. 31 (Jun): 168–173. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2011.12.058.
Sabet, F. A., N. A. Libre, and M. Shekarchi. 2013. “Mechanical and durability properties of self consolidating high performance concrete incorporating natural zeolite, silica fume and fly ash.” Constr. Build. Mater. 44 (Jul): 175–184. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2013.02.069.
Samimi, K., S. Kamali-Bernard, and A. A. Maghsoudi. 2018. “Microstructure, compressive strength and transport properties of high strength self-compacting concretes containing natural pumice and zeolite.” Int. J. Civ. Environ. Eng. 12 (3): 227–236.
Shekarchi, M., J. E. Nejad, B. Ahmadi, and M. Rahimi. 2008. “Improving concrete properties by using natural zeolite. Part I: Mechanical and durability properties.” Iran. Concr. J. 30 (1): 34–42.
Toropovs, N., F. Lo Monte, M. Wyrzykowski, B. Weber, G. Sahmenko, P. Vontobel, R. Felicetti, and P. Lura. 2015. “Real-time measurements of temperature, pressure and moisture profiles in high-performance concrete exposed to high temperatures during neutron radiography imaging.” Cem. Concr. Res. 68 (Feb): 166–173. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconres.2014.11.003.
Wang, D., C. Shi, N. Farzadnia, Z. Shi, H. Jia, and Z. Ou. 2018. “A review on use of limestone powder in cement-based materials: Mechanism, hydration and microstructures.” Constr. Build. Mater. 181 (Aug): 659–672. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2018.06.075.
Wille, K., S. El-Tawil, and A. Naaman. 2014. “Properties of strain hardening ultra-high performance fiber reinforced concrete (UHP-FRC) under direct tensile loading.” Cem. Concr. Compos. 48 (Apr): 53–66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2013.12.015.
Wille, K., D. J. Kim, and A. E. Naaman. 2011. “Strain-hardening UHP-FRC with low fiber contents.” Mater. Struct. 44 (3): 583–598. https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-010-9650-4.
Wu, Z., and C. Shi. 2016. “Effects of steel fiber content and shape on mechanical properties of ultra high performance concrete.” Constr. Build. Mater. 103 (Jan): 8–14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2015.11.028.
Wu, Z., C. Shi, and K. H. Khayat. 2016a. “Effect of silica fume content on microstructure development and bond to steel fiber in ultra-high strength cement-based materials (UHSC).” Cem. Concr. Compos. 71 (Aug): 97–109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2016.05.005.
Wu, Z., C. Shi, K. H. Khayat, and S. Wan. 2016b. “Effects of different nanomaterials on hardening and performance of ultra-high strength concrete (UHSC).” Cem. Concr. Compos. 70 (Jul): 24–34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2016.03.003.
Xu, M., and K. Wille. 2015. “Fracture energy of UHP-FRC under direct tensile loading applied at low strain rates.” Composites, Part B 80 (Oct): 116–125. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesb.2015.05.031.
Yazıcı, H., M. Y. Yardımcı, S. Aydın, and A. S. Karabulut. 2009. “Mechanical properties of reactive powder concrete containing mineral admixtures under different curing regimes.” Constr. Build. Mater. 23 (3): 1223–1231. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2008.08.003.
Yoo, D. Y., S. W. Kim, and J. J. Park. 2017. “Comparative flexural behavior of ultra-high-performance concrete.” Constr. Build. Mater. 132 (Feb): 219–229. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2016.11.104.
Yoo, D. Y., H. Shin, J. Yang, and Y. Yoon. 2014. “Material and bond properties of ultra-high performance fiber reinforced concrete with micro steel fibers.” Composites, Part B 58 (Mar): 122–133. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesb.2013.10.081.
Yunsheng, Z., S. Wei, L. Sifeng, J. Chujie, and L. Jianzhong. 2008. “Preparation of C200 green reactive powder concrete and its static-dynamic behaviors.” Cem. Concr. Compos. 30 (9): 831–838. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2008.06.008.

Information & Authors

Information

Published In

Go to Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 32Issue 12December 2020

History

Received: Oct 29, 2019
Accepted: Jun 2, 2020
Published online: Sep 20, 2020
Published in print: Dec 1, 2020
Discussion open until: Feb 20, 2021

Permissions

Request permissions for this article.

Authors

Affiliations

Hadi Bahmani [email protected]
Research Assistant, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Isfahan Univ. of Technology, Isfahan 8415683111, Iran. Email: [email protected]
Davood Mostofinejad [email protected]
Professor, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Isfahan Univ. of Technology, Isfahan 8415683111, Iran. Email: [email protected]
Research Assistant, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Isfahan Univ. of Technology, Isfahan 8415683111, Iran (corresponding author). ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8605-2287. Email: [email protected]; [email protected]

Metrics & Citations

Metrics

Citations

Download citation

If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.

Cited by

View Options

Get Access

Access content

Please select your options to get access

Log in/Register Log in via your institution (Shibboleth)
ASCE Members: Please log in to see member pricing

Purchase

Save for later Information on ASCE Library Cards
ASCE Library Cards let you download journal articles, proceedings papers, and available book chapters across the entire ASCE Library platform. ASCE Library Cards remain active for 24 months or until all downloads are used. Note: This content will be debited as one download at time of checkout.

Terms of Use: ASCE Library Cards are for individual, personal use only. Reselling, republishing, or forwarding the materials to libraries or reading rooms is prohibited.
ASCE Library Card (5 downloads)
$105.00
Add to cart
ASCE Library Card (20 downloads)
$280.00
Add to cart
Buy Single Article
$35.00
Add to cart

Get Access

Access content

Please select your options to get access

Log in/Register Log in via your institution (Shibboleth)
ASCE Members: Please log in to see member pricing

Purchase

Save for later Information on ASCE Library Cards
ASCE Library Cards let you download journal articles, proceedings papers, and available book chapters across the entire ASCE Library platform. ASCE Library Cards remain active for 24 months or until all downloads are used. Note: This content will be debited as one download at time of checkout.

Terms of Use: ASCE Library Cards are for individual, personal use only. Reselling, republishing, or forwarding the materials to libraries or reading rooms is prohibited.
ASCE Library Card (5 downloads)
$105.00
Add to cart
ASCE Library Card (20 downloads)
$280.00
Add to cart
Buy Single Article
$35.00
Add to cart

Media

Figures

Other

Tables

Share

Share

Copy the content Link

Share with email

Email a colleague

Share