Enhancing the Hardened Properties of Recycled Concrete (RC) through Synergistic Incorporation of Fiber Reinforcement and Silica Fume

Babar Ali, Hawreen Ahmed, Liaqat Ali Qureshi, Rawaz Kurda, Hisham Hafez, Hussein Mohammed, Ali Raza

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

35 Citations (Scopus)
43 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Portland cement concrete is fragile in tension and it has numerous negative impacts on the environment. To deal with these issues, both fiber reinforcement and recycled materials can be utilized to manufacture sustainable and ductile concrete. In this study, the synergistic effects of high-performance mineral admixture silica fume and glass fiber reinforcement were investigated on the hardened properties of RC. For this purpose, two concrete mix families, namely, NC and RC were prepared. To understand the benefits of synergistic utilization of glass fiber and silica fume, in both NC and RC, 0.5% glass fiber was incorporated with three different levels of silica fume. i.e., 0%, 5%, and 10%. Both strength and permeability-related durability properties were investigated. Results revealed that combined incorporation of 0.5% fiber and 10% silica fume can help in the production of RC having better mechanical and durability performance compared to reference “NC”. Simultaneous incorporation of silica fume and glass fiber produces a combined effect greater than their individual effects on both mechanical and permeability properties of concrete. Silica fume plays a very dominant and positive role in the development of CS, WA, and CIPR of RC, whereas glass fiber plays a vital role in upgrading STS and FS of RC and whereas, with the addition of 0.5% glass fiber, RC can yield 8–9 times higher flexural toughness than that of the plain NC.
Original languageEnglish
Article number4112
JournalMaterials
Volume13
Issue number18
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 16 Sept 2020

Keywords

  • synergistic effects
  • fiber
  • recycled aggregate
  • tensile strength
  • permeability
  • silica fume

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