Spalling Prevention of Ultrahigh-Performance Concrete: Comparative Effectiveness of Polyethylene Terephthalate and Polypropylene Fibers
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 33, Issue 12
Abstract
This work explored the feasibility and effectiveness of using recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fibers as an alternative to conventional polypropylene (PP) fibers in preventing the thermal spalling of ultrahigh-performance concrete (UHPC). The effect of PET fibers of varying dosages and geometries on the spalling behaviors of UHPC subject to various heating regimes was studied. The results showed that the PET incorporation into UHPC can effectively prevent the occurrence of heat-induced cracking and spalling. However, compared with PP fibers, a higher dosage of PET fibers was required to eliminate the spalling risk of UHPC. The relatively low mitigation efficiency of PET fibers compared with PP fibers may be attributed to its higher melting temperature, which retarded the formation of interconnected channels. Nevertheless, the incorporation of PET and PP fibers increased the permeability of UHPC even before the heat treatments and fiber melting, which contributed to a reduced spalling propensity of the UHPC.
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Data Availability Statement
All data, models, and code generated or used during the study appear in the published article.
Acknowledgments
This work was funded by the Innovation and Technology Support Programme of Innovation and Technology Fund of Hong Kong (Grant No. ITS/412/18). Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material/event (or by members of the project team) do not reflect the views of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Innovation and Technology Commission, or the Panel of Assessors for the Innovation and Technology Support Programme of the Innovation and Technology Fund.
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Published In
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 33 • Issue 12 • December 2021
Copyright
© 2021 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Oct 12, 2020
Accepted: Apr 15, 2021
Published online: Sep 23, 2021
Published in print: Dec 1, 2021
Discussion open until: Feb 23, 2022
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