Effects of Polypropylene Fibre on Strength of Geopolymer Concrete

Abstract

Abstract

In the construction industry, the most vital parameter considered in the current scenario is the sustainable development of the structures. The most used material in construction is concrete, which is primarily made up of Portland cement. The production of Portland cement is nearly about 2.6 billion tonnes per year and is increasing at the rate of 5% annually. The concrete industry contributes about 5–8% of all human generated carbon dioxide worldwide. Among the greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide contributes about 65% to the global warming. In this paper, the effects of polypropylene fibre on the strength of geopolymer concrete are studied under the following tests, namely: compressive strength test, flexural tensile strength test, and split tensile strength test. The geopolymer concrete used for testing is produced with 100% replacement of cement with fly ash as a binder. A geopolymer binder has a reduction of about 80% in carbon emissions compared to Portland cement. Following are the data pertaining to preparation of concrete: the ratio by weight =1:1.4:3.28 (Fly ash: Fine Aggregate: Coarse Aggregate), alkaline liquid (a mixture of sodium silicate solution and sodium hydroxide solution) to fly ash ratio is 0.40, sixteen molar (16M) sodium hydroxide solution is used, polypropylene fibre used is 1.0 kg/m³ for fibre concrete composites. There is a 30% increment in compressive strength of geopolymer concrete with the addition of polypropylene fibre. There is a 50% increment in the flexural tensile strength of geopolymer concrete with the addition of polypropylene fibre. There is a 16% increment in the split tensile strength of geopolymer concrete with the addition of polypropylene fibre.

Keywords: Geopolymer concrete, fly ash, polypropylene fibre, carbon emissions, sodium silicate solution, sodium hydroxide solution

Cite this Article

Talib A, Khan MY, Baqi A et al. Effects of Polypropylene Fibre on Strength of Geopolymer Concrete. Recent Trends in Civil Engineering & Technology. 2016; 6(3): 23–31p.