Title:
Experimental Investigation into Mechanical Properties of Polypropylene Reactive Powder Concrete
Author(s):
Yang Ju, Li Wang, Hongbin Liu, and Guowei Ma
Publication:
Materials Journal
Volume:
115
Issue:
1
Appears on pages(s):
21-32
Keywords:
enhancement mechanism; fiber volume fraction; mechanical properties; polypropylene fiber (PP fiber); reactive powder concrete (RPC)
DOI:
10.14359/51701096
Date:
1/1/2018
Abstract:
This paper experimentally investigates the effects of embedded polypropylene fibers (PP fibers) on the mechanical properties—
including compression strength, split tensile strength, flexural strength, fracture ductility, and fracture energy—of ultra-high strength reactive powder concrete (RPC). A large-scale laser
profilometer was employed to obtain the three-dimensional (3-D) geometry of the fracture surfaces of the prism specimens after three-point bending tests. Scanning electron microscopy was used to characterize the microstructure of the fibered RPC. Experimental results indicate that the addition of PP fibers with a volume fraction ρv less than 0.3% had insignificant effects on the mechanical strengths of RPC. The addition of PP fibers with ρv ranging between 0.3 and 0.9% improved the mechanical strengths and the fracture performances. All the measured mechanical properties of the fibered RPC decreased to a certain extent, as ρv exceeded 0.9%. The reinforcement mechanisms of the PP fibers in RPC are analyzed and discussed.