Author’s Accepted Manuscript

The Possibility of Enhancing Some Properties of

Self-Compacting Concrete by Adding Waste
Plastic Fibers

Abdulkader Ismail Al-Hadithi, Nahla Naji Hilal

www.elsevier.com/locate/jobe

PII: S2352-7102(16)30068-7
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2016.06.011
Reference: JOBE146
To appear in: Journal of Building Engineering
Received date: 20 November 2015
Revised date: 17 June 2016
Accepted date: 17 June 2016
Cite this article as: Abdulkader Ismail Al-Hadithi and Nahla Naji Hilal, The
Possibility of Enhancing Some Properties of Self-Compacting Concrete by
Adding Waste Plastic Fibers, Journal of Building Engineering,
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2016.06.011
This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for
publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of
the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and
review of the resulting galley proof before it is published in its final citable form.
Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which
could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.
 The Possibility of Enhancing Some Properties of Self-Compacting Concrete

by Adding Waste Plastic Fibers

Prof. Dr. Abdulkader Ismail Al-Hadithi, Dr. Nahla Naji Hilal

Dams and Water Resources Engineering Department, College of Engineering, University of Anabr, Ramadi,

ANBAR , IRAQ.

[email protected]

[email protected]

Abstract:

An attempt was carried out to develop some properties of self-compacted concrete (SCC) by

adding waste plastic fibers (WPF) resulting from cutting beverage bottles. Many tests were

conducted to investigate the effect of adding WPF on the fresh properties, whereas other tests

were applied on that kind of concrete to study the effect of this type of waste on hardened

properties. For this reason, different self-compacting concrete mixtures were designed at

constant water-to-binder ratio of 0.35 and 490 kg/m3 of binder content. The class F fly ash was

replaced with cement as 25% by weight. The eighth designated plastic fiber contents of 0, 0.25,

0.5, 0.75, 1, 1.25, 1.5, 1.75 and 2% by volume. The workability properties of self-compacting

concrete mixtures were performed to slump flow diameter, T50 slump flow simultaneously, V-

funnel flow at the same time, and L-box height ratio. The 7,14 and 28-day compressive strengths

of self-compacting concretes were also measured. Moreover, the 7, 14 and 28-day flexural

strengths of concretes were also measured. The test results showed that the plastic fibers have

adverse effect on the fresh properties of self-compacting concrete and improvement by hardened

properties.
Keywords: Self Compacting Concrete, Fiber Reinforced Concrete, Waste Plastic Fiber, Fresh

Properties, Workability, Mechanical Properties.

1. INTRODUCTION

Over the last decades, huge quantities of non-degradable waste, especially in the form of waste

plastics (WP) have proved that they have serious challenges to the environment; moreover they

are considered as one of the most dangerous sources of pollution [1-6]. The reuse of plastic

wastes plays an important role in sustainable solid waste management. Plastic waste

management helps to save natural resources that cannot be replenished, decreases pollution of

the environment and also helps to save and recycle energy production processes [7].

Self-compacting concrete SCC is a concrete that can flow and infiltrate under its own weight,

and pass through the spaces between the reinforcement bars to fill the framework completely. It

simultaneously maintains its stable composition [8-10]. It is a kind of concrete with excellent

deformability and segregation resistance [11]. The hardened SCC is dense, homogeneous and has

the same engineering properties and durability as traditional vibrated concrete [12].SCC consists

basically of the same constituents as a normally vibrated concrete. However, there is a clear

difference in the concrete composition. SCC requires a higher proportion of ultra-fine materials

and the incorporation of chemical admixtures, particularly an effective high range water reducer

[13].

Fiber-reinforced concrete (FRC) is a composite material made primarily from hydraulic cements,

aggregates, and discrete reinforcing fibers [14]. The effects of adding many types of fibers on

self-compacted concrete were investigated by many scientists and researchers [15].

FRC and fiber reinforced cement composites (FRCCs) are widely used in civil infrastructures

including airports, highways, industrial floors, bridge decks, elevated slabs, overlays, tunnel

linings, and precast elements [16-20],due to their higher load carrying capacity and crack

resistance.

Many researches dealt with the effects of adding different types of fibers on the properties of

SCC [21-24].

Application of plastic waste to mortar and concrete is very common and a number of studies

have been conducted to evaluate the performance characteristic of the plastic concrete. Choi et

al. [25] conducted experimental study to investigate the effect of plastic waste (PET bottles) as

aggregate on properties of concrete.

Many attempts were done to benefit from the waste plastic as aggregate particles for the purpose

of developing concrete or mortars properties or study effects of these kind of additives on the

behavior of concrete [26-28]. Batayach et al. [29] used plastic waste as partial replacement of

sand in concrete. The result showed that 20% substitution of sand can reduce compressive

strength up to 70% as compared to normal concrete. Many studies [30-33] also used a consumed

plastic bottle for sand substitution within composite materials for building application. Brahim

Safi et al.[34] used plastic waste from 0 to 50% for sand substitution in self compacting

rubberized mortar and investigated the effect on physical and mechanical properties. The results

of mechanical test showed that, the compressive strength at 28 days of self-compacting

mortar containing up to 50% of plastic waste was acceptable for lightweight mortars

with the bulk density 1.5 kg/m3. Researchers [35- 36] have also studied the use of consumed

plastic bottle waste as sand-substitution aggregate within composite materials for building

applications. The studies of these researchers showed that the density and compressive strength
were decreased when the PET aggregates exceeded 50% by volume of sand. Also, it was found

that the addition of plastic waste (< 10%) in volume inside of a cementitious matrix does not

imply a significant variation of the concrete mechanical features.

WP had been used as waste plastic fibers (WPF)in concrete or mortars in many studies [37- 38].

Al-Hadithi [39] studied the use of plastic bottle waste with different percentages of concrete

volumes. These percentages were 0.5%, 1% and 1.5%. Results proved that the addition of waste

plastic fibers with these percentages lead to improvements in compressive strength and splitting

tensile strength of concretes containing plastic fibers, but the improvement in splitting tensile

strength appeared more clearly.

Pandyaet al. [40] evaluates the mechanical properties of PET fiber reinforced concrete using

micro fine material with particle size much finer than other cementitious materials called

Alccofine as admixture. The PET fiber are used with 0%, 0.5%, 1.5% and 3% by weight of

cement with Alccofine (GGBS) percentage of 0%, 3%, 6% and 9% replacing cement for M30

grade concrete. Results showed that:

 Workability of concrete is decreased with increased in fiber content. Maximum

workability is achieved with 0% PET fiber and 9% Alccofine.

 Compression test results: It can be clearly seen that with increase in fiber content,

compressive strength increases up to Vf=1. 5% while compressive strength decreases.

Compressive strength increases with increase in Alccofine up to 6% which then

decreases. Maximum compressive strength is achieved with 1.5% PET fiber and 6%

Alccofine.

 Flexure strength increases with increases in both PET fiber and alkaline. Maximum

flexural strength is achieved with 1.5% fiber and 9% Alccofine.

  PET fiber 0.5% and Alccofine 6% gives maximum compressive strength which is

22.65% more in comparison with control mix. This comes at a cost increase of only

3.84%.

 PET fiber 1.5% and Alccofine 9% gives maximum flexure strength which is 52% more

in comparison with control mix. And for this strength there is a cost increase of only

5.75%. .

In this research an attempt is made to benefit from the WP of PET bottles by cutting these kinds

of materials to fibers, which are then used in the SCC transforming them to a concrete

sustainable material. The addition of WPF helps to convert brittle concretes into more ductile

ones. The main role of WPF fibers is to transfer stress across the crack and thus to restrain crack

opening and propagation. But there is a negative effect of this type of adding on the fresh

properties of concrete mixtures represented by decreased in the workability. Combining both

WPF and SCC into one type of cement composite would opining new possibilities in sustainable

engineering and structural engineering.

2. EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAM

2.1.Materials
2.1.1. Cement and fly ash

Ordinary Portland cement (CEM I 42.5R) with specific gravity of 3.15 g/cm3 and Blaine fineness

of 326 m2/kg was utilized in this study. Class F fly ash (FA) according to ASTM C 618 [41] with

a specific gravity of 2.25 g/cm3 and Blaine fineness of 379 m2/kg was utilized in the

manufacturing of the SCCs. Physical properties and chemical compositions of the cement and fly

ash are presented in Table 1.

2.1.2 Aggregates
The coarse aggregate was river gravel with a nominal maximum size of 16 mm and the fine

aggregate natural river sand, was used with a maximum size of 4 mm. River sand, and river

gravel had specific gravities of 2.65,and 2.71, respectively. The particle size gradation obtained

through the sieve analysis of the fine and coarse aggregates are given in Figure 1.

2.1.3. Superplasticizer

A Polycarboxylic ether type of superplasticizer (SP), which acts by steric hindrance effect [42],

with specific gravity of 1.07, was employed to achieve the desired workability in all concrete

mixtures. The properties of superplasticizer are given in Table 2 as reported by the local supplier.

2.1.4. Waste Plastic Fiber

Rectangular shape of waste plastic fiber with dimension (10 × 2 mm) and thickness of (0.3) mm

made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) was used in this research. The waste fibers were

produced by cutting plastic beverage bottles by hand as seen in Figure 2. The specific gravity of

these fibers was 1.12 .

2.1.5. Mixing Water

Ordinary tap water is used in this work for all concrete mixes and curing of specimens.

2.2. Mixture Design

Self-compacting waste plastic fibers concrete (SCWPC) mixtures were designed having a

constant w/b ratio of 0.35 and total binder content of 490 kg/m3. The class F fly ash was used as

a 25% of total binder content in all mixtures. Totally 9 different SCRC mixtures were designed

regarding to above variables, the first SCRC mixture was reference mix, which was not

containing WPF. The detailed mix proportions for SCRCs are presented in Table 3. The

concrete mixtures were designed according to slump flow diameter of 700 ± 50 mm which was

achieved by using the superplasticizer at varying amounts.

2.3. Concrete Casting

To achieve the same homogeneity and uniformity in all SCRC mixtures, the batching and mixing

procedure proposed by Khayat et al. [43] was followed since the mixing sequence and duration

are very vital in the self-compacting concrete production. According to this mixing procedure,

the plastic fiber, fine and coarse aggregates in a power-driven revolving pan mixer were mixed

homogeneously for 30 seconds, and then about half of the mixing water was added into the

mixer and it was allowed to continue the mixing for one more minute. After that, plastic waste

and aggregates were left to absorb the water in the mixer for 1 min. Thereafter, the cement and

fly ash was added to the mixture for mixing another minute. Finally, the SP with remaining water

was poured into mixer, and the concrete was mixed for 3 min and then left for a 2 min rest. At

the end, to complete the production, the concrete was mixed for additional 2 min. The

workability and passing ability of the mixtures were tested by means of different tests. Moreover,

three 150-mm cubes were taken to measure the compressive strength of self-compacting

concretes and three 100*100*500 prisms were taken to measure the flexural strength. Following

the concrete casting, specimens were wrapped with plastic sheet and left in the casting room for

24 h at 20±2 °C and then they were demoulded and tested after 7and 28-days water.

2.4. Test Procedure

The recommendations in EFNARC [44] committee (European Federation for Specialist

Construction Chemicals and Concrete Systems) were followed to carry out the slump flow

diameter, T50 slump flow time, V-funnel flow time, and L-box height ratio. Slump flow value,

which is used for the description of the fluidity of a fresh concrete in unconfined conditions, is a

sensitive test. It is the primary check for the fresh concrete consistence to meet the specification.
Thus, it can normally be specified for all self-compacting concretes. Moreover, additional

information about segregation resistance and uniformity of concrete can be achieved from the

visual observations during the test and/or measurement of the T50 time that is the measured time

for flowing of concrete to a diameter of 500 mm [44].

Both the T50 slump flow time and V-funnel flow time can be used to measure the viscosity of the

self-compacting concrete. The direct viscosity cannot be achieved by these tests but the results of

these tests describe the rate of flow which is related to the viscosity. V-shaped funnel is used to

measure the V-funnel flow time, it is filled with fresh concrete and then it is allowed to flow out

from the funnel, the elapsed time of fully flowing is recorded as the V-funnel flow time.

The passing ability of the fresh concrete mix to flow through confined spaces and narrow

opening such as areas of congested reinforcement without segregation, loss of uniformity or

causing blocking can be measured in terms of L-box test. A measured volume of fresh concrete

is allowed to flow horizontally through the gaps between vertical, smooth reinforcing bars and

the height of the concrete beyond the reinforcement is measured.

Wet density test was performed on 150 mm cubes in accordance with the standards ASTM C

642, 2006[45]. The results for wet density of self-compacting concrete were given as the average

of three samples

Ultrasonic pulse velocity test was performed on 150 mm cubes in accordance with the standards

(ASTM C 597, 2009) [46]. Pulse velocity was determined by dividing the pulse time to length of

path as shown in the following equation. The results for ultrasonic pulse velocity of self-

compacting concrete were given as the average of three samples.

 V= l /t

Where: V = Velocity (km/sec), l = length of path (km) and t = time (seconds)

Compression test of self-compacting concrete sample was carried out with respect to ASTM

C39 [47]. The results for compressive strength of self-compacting concrete were given as the

average of three samples.

Flexural strength test of self-compacting concrete sample was carried out with respect to ASTM

C78 [48]. The results for flexural strength of self-compacting concrete were given as the average

of three samples.

3. Results and Discussion

3.1. Fresh Concrete Properties
The results of fresh concrete tests are shown in Table 4. These tests included slump flow

Diameter, T50slump flow time, V-funnel flow time, L-Box ratio test and Wet density. It can be

noticed from this table that, the slump flow diameters of all mixtures were in the range of 650-

780 mm, the T50 slump flow times were in the range of 3-12second. The V-funnel flow times

were in the range of 9-25second, whereas the L-box ratio was in the range of 1-0.75. Test

apparatus sketching has been given in Figure 3. Wet density value varied from 2340 kg/m3

to2235 kg/m3.

3.1.1. Slump Flow and T50 Slump Flow Time Tests.

There is no doubt that the slump flow test is the simplest and most widely used tests. The

straightforward correlation - the higher the slump flow value, the greater its ability to fill

formwork under its own weight - makes it very easy to use and interpret the results [49].
Figures 4 and 5 show the results of slump flow tests and T50 Slump Flow Time together. The

values of D represent the maximum spread (slump flow final diameter), while the values of T50

represent the time required for the concrete flow to reach a circle with 50 cm diameter.

Reference mixture (F0) is proportioned at the upper level of self-compatibility, in order to

remain within the given limits after the addition of the fibers. The results of the slump flow range

between (650-780) mm, the results of T50cm range between 3-12 seconds as shown in Figure 5.

It is very clear from the results that not all of the mixes satisfy the requirements recommended by

EFNARC for SCC. None of the mixes show segregation, bleeding or halo-formation.

As waste plastic fibers WPF were added, slump flow values generally became lower. The

reduction percents in slump flow values were found to increase with the increase in WPF

content. These fibers tended to become entangled together and formed clusters at the center of

the flow spread which jeopardize the ability of concrete to flow. It can be seen that the

flowability is better for low content of WPF than the mixes with high content of WPF. This can

be attributed to the high specific surface area for these fibers [50].The flow time was higher for

mixes containing higher WPC content than the mixes with low WPF content since the increase in

polymer fibers content leads to increase in the viscosity of the mixes. Mixes with WPF

volumetric content equal to or more than Vf=0.75%had T50 exceeded the limits of EFNARC due

to the cumulative negative effect for polymer fibers and higher fiber factor.

The effect of adding fibers to conventional concrete leads to more stability and consistency of

concrete mix, then reduce the workability. In general, adding fibers reduce the fluidity properties

of SCC because of increasing of internal resistance to the fluidity resulting from decreasing in

cement paste layer thickness which surrounding aggregate particles, and because of increasing in

both plastic viscosity and friction between aggregate and, or friction between aggregate and
fibers, also the cross-linked between aggregate and fibers. Slump test is an indicator for the

concrete diffusion or evacuation ability [23].

3.1.2. V-funnel time and L-box ratio tests.

Results proved that, an increase in WPF leads to an increase in V-funnel time, Slump flow time

and L-box ratio because of the above mentioned reasons in 3.1.1.As shown in Figure 7 the

lowest V-funnel time was obtained from controlled mixture, and the systematic increasing of V-

funnel time witch was observed in WPF content increase.

The L-box height ratio by means of H2/H1 ratio was also determined to specify the passing

ability of the produced SCCs. The results obtained from the three bar L-box test which simulates

more congested reinforcement [44] are presented in Figure7. The L-box height ratio must be

equal to or greater than 0.8 to certify that the self-compacting concrete has the passing ability.

When the L-box height ratio is 1.0, it shows that perfect fluid behavior of the concrete is

obtained [44]. According to Figure 7, all mixtures satisfy the EFNARC limitation for the given

L-box height ratio except two mixtures (F1.75 and F2.0). The L-box height ratio value for the

reference mixture (F0) was 1 while it is 0.75 for the mixture with 2% WPF. In addition,

increasing the waste plastic fibers WPF resulted in systematical decreasing of L-box height ratio.

3.1.3. Wet density

The Wet density of SCC refers to its mass per unit volume of fresh concrete. It depends on the

mixture composition of concrete .Wet density value varied from 2340 kg/m3 to 2235 kg/m3and is

presented in Figure 8. as waste plastic fibers WPF were added, wet density values of all mixtures

generally became lower. The reason for this reduction may be attributed to the fact that, the

plastic fibers has low specific gravity of 1.12 when compared to cement that has specific gravity
of 3.15 and aggregate 2.65. Not only has that, the plastic fibers taken up the water resulting in the

need for more quantity of water to improve the density.

3.2. Hardened concrete properties

The results of hardened concrete tests are presented in Table 5, which included the 7, 14 and

28days of both compressive strength and flexural strength tests. As observed from results and

showed in figure 9, the addition of WPF leads to increase in compressive strength of all mixes

compared with a reference mix for all ages of test. The SCC developed compressive strengths

ranging from 46MPa to 56Mpa, from 51MPa to 68MPa, and from 53MPa to 76Mpa, at 7, 14 and

28 days, respectively.

Among all WPF mixes, the concrete specimens incorporated WPF with Vf =2% achieved the

lowest compressive strength for all test ages. The maximum increment in compressive strength at

7 day age according to reference mix was equal to 21.7% for F1.0 mix (Vf =1%), whereas the

value at 14 day of curing was 33.33%for F1.25 mix (Vf =1.25%), and at 28 days curing was

equal to 43.4% for F1.5 mix (Vf =1.5%).As and when micro cracks developed in the matrix, the

fiber in the vicinity of such micro cracks tries to arrest these cracks and prevent further

propagation. Hence the cracks that are appearing inside the matrix have to take a meandering

path, resulting in the demand for more energy for future propagation, which in turn increases the

ultimate load [23].

It can be clearly noticed that from figure 10 the flexural strength of all reinforced fiber concrete

mixtures is higher than that of the control concrete mix. The results of the flexural tensile

strength tests clearly showed the benefit of WPF fibers. The trends illustrated a definite increase

in tensile capacity attributed to higher fiber concentrations. The tested prisms for plain concrete

failed suddenly and split into two separate parts, while the prisms with fibers are cracked at

failure without separation. All fibrous mixes except mix F2.0 (Vf=2%) demonstrated higher
flexural tensile strength relative to plain mix at all curing ages. The percent of increase in

flexural tensile strength was found to be increased with the increase in WPF content up to

(Vf=1.75%). With an increase in fiber content, the fibers become more densely spaced, and may

hinder growth of micro cracks within the brittle matrix and increase the flexural tensile strength

of the fiber reinforced concrete [50]. The maximum increasing values in flexural strength

according to Reference mix at 7, 14 and 28 days age of curing were 141.4%, 93.3% and 82.2%

respectively for F1.75 mix (Vf=1.75%). However, at highest value of WPF content (Vf=2%), a

reduction in ultimate flexural strength has been found. This may be due to the insufficient matrix

around the fibers for transfer of stress from concrete to fibers through bond [24]. Moreover

plastics are having low bonding properties so that causing a decrease in flexural strength with

higher content of PET. As the plastic content increases, more free water around the particles

weakens the plastic-paste interface resulting in a less dense zone with large voids and a relatively

poor adhesion [51]. It is the reason why the flexural strength is apparently reduced if the fiber

fraction is bigger than 1.75%.

A fractured surface is shown in Figures 11a and 11b where parts of the plastic particles are

marked with small circles. The coarse aggregate and plastic particles distribute uniformly in the

section. Moreover, all the coarse aggregates are fractured finally. The fracture surface of

concrete cubes and prismatic showed that most of plastic wastes are pulled out from the

specimens.

3.3 Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity Test (UPV)

The results of UPV test are presented in Table 6. It is seen that all UPV values of fiber concrete

as well as reference concrete specimens are in the range of 3.4–5.2 km/s, which indicates the

quality of concrete falls in the “good” scale as per quality assessment of IS: 13311 [52]. It was
noted that the inclusion of PET fibers led to increase on the UPV for all mixes containing this

kind of fibers comparing with reference mix. For the mixes containing PET fibers UPV values

decreased with an increasing in PET content up to Vf=1.5% due to their lower specific gravity.

The relationship between the pulse velocities of the specimens at 28 days reinforced with plastic

fibers and volume fraction of these fibers is shown in Figure 12., but, this figure appears to be

really inadequate to explain this relationship. Furthermore, when correlating this property with

the corresponding compressive strength, the regression will not be linear because of the fiber

concrete’s greater capability of withstanding tensile forces. This renders the UPV test somewhat

ineffective as a non-destructive test to estimate the compressive strength of concrete as according

to previous studies [53].

4. Conclusions

Based on the findings presented above, the main concluding remarks can be explained as

follows:

 The slump flow diameters ranging from 650 to 780mm were obtained for the self-

compacting concretes. The reference mixture was in the SF1 class while the self-

compacting rubberized concretes with WPF were in the SF3 class according to

EFNARC.Although the increasing in WPF content which led to reduce the slump flow

diameters of concretes, the results were acceptable for many normal application of self-

compacting concrete.

 The addition of WPF leads to increaseinboth T50 slump flow and V-funnel flow times.

All the mixture can be categorized as VS2/VF2 viscosity class, due to the fact that using

the WPF in production of self-compacting concrete increases the T50 slump flow and V-
 funnel flow times. The produced concretes determine the self-compacting concrete

requirements according to EFNARC.

 The L-box height ratio was also affected by the content of WPF use, since increasing the

WPF content causes systematic decrease in the L-box height ratio. However, the seventh

mixtures had L-box height ratio values more than 0.8 which is the lowest limit

determined by EFNARC, while theF1.75 mix and F2.0 are not satisfying the

requirements of SCC.

 As waste plastic fibers WPF were added, wet density values of all mixtures generally

became lower. The reason for this reduction attributed to the fact that the plastic fibers

has low specific gravity .

 The compressive strength results indicate that the utilization of WPF in manufactured

self-compacting concrete led to systematical increasing of the compressive

strength.Among all WPF mixes, the concrete specimens incorporated WPF with (Vf

=2%) achieved the lowest compressive strength for all test ages. The compressive

strength of self-compacting concrete with WPF having more than 40 MPa could be

produced easily.

 flexural strength of all reinforced fiber concrete mixtures is higher than thatof the control

concrete mix. The results of the flexural strength tests clearly showed the benefit of WPF

fibers.

 The UPV values ranging from 3.40 Km/s to 5.20 Km/s were achieved in this study.The

lowest UPV result was obtained from control mixture while the highestUPV result was

obtained from manufacturing F0.25 mix (Vf=0.25%).

5. References

[1] Zainab Z. Ismail, Enas A. AL-Hashmi (2008) Use of waste plastic in concrete mixture as

aggregate replacement, Waste Management 28 2041–2047.

[2] S. M. Al-Salem , P. Lettieri, J. Baeyens (2009) Recycling and recovery routes of plastic

solid waste (PSW): A review Waste ManagementVol (29) 2625–2643.

[3] Lilliana Abarca Guerrero, Ger Maas ,William Hogland, (2013)Solid waste management

challenges for cities in developing countries Waste ManagementVol.( 33) 220–232.

[4] Iucolano ,F ; Liguori, B; Caputo, D; Colangelo, F; Cioffi, R , (2013) Recycled Plastic

Aggregate in Composition: Effect on Physical and Mechanical Properties, Materials and

Design, Vol. (52), pp:916-922.

[5] Wu, Guiqing; Li, Jia and Xu, Zhenming. (2013) Triboelectrostatic Separation for granular

Plastic Waste Recycling: A review, Waste Management Journal, Vol.(33), pp:585-597.

[6] Liguori ,Barbara; Iucolano, Fabio; Lavorgna, Marino; Verdolotti, Letizia, (2014) The

Effect of Recycled Plastic Aggregate on Chemico-physical and Functional Properties of

Composite Mortars, Materials and Design Journal, Vol.(57), pp:578-584.

[7]Youcef Ghernouti , Bahia Rabehi , Tayeb Bouziani , Hicham Ghezraoui , Abdelhadi

Makhloufi, (2015) Fresh and hardened properties of self-compacting concrete containing

plastic bag waste fibers (WFSCC), Construction and Building Materials Vol (82) 89–100.

[8] Okamura H, Ouchi M. (1998) Self-compacting high performance concrete. Prog Struct

Eng Mater; Vol(1):378–83.

[9]The European guidelines for self-compacting concrete, specification, production and use.

Norfolk: (2005) The Self-Compacting Concrete European Project Group;. p. 63.

[10] Guidelines for viscosity modifying admixtures for concrete. Norfolk: (2006) The

European Federation of Specialist Construction Chemicals and Concrete Systems (EFNARC);

p. 12.

[11] K. C. Panda and P. K. Bal, (2013) Properties of Self-compacting concrete using recycled

concrete aggregate”, Procedia Engineering, Vol. (51), pp 159-164.

[12] Krishna Murthy N., Narsimha Rao A. V., Ramana Reddy I. V. and Vijay Sekhar Reddy

M., (2012) Mix Design procedure for self-compacting concrete”, IOSR Journal of

Engineering , Vol. (2) pp 33-41, 2012.

[13] H. A. F. Dehwah, (2012) Mechanical properties of self-compacting concrete

incorporating quarry dust powder, silica fume or fly ash., Construction and Building

Materials, Vol. (26) pp 547-551, 2012.

[14] Wang, Zhi-Liang; Liu, Yong-Sheng; Shen, R. F. (2008) Stress-Strain Relationship of

Steel Fiber-Reinforced Concrete under Dynamic Compression”, Construction and Building

Materials Journal, Vol.(22), pp:811-819.

[15] Lim, Jian C. and Ozbakkaloglu, Togay, (2015) Influence of Concrete Age on Stress-

Strain Behavior of FRP-Confined Normal- and High- Strength Concrete, Construction and

Building Materials Journal, Vol. (82), pp: 61-70.

[16] Shah AA, Ribakov Y. (2011) Recent trends in steel fibered high-strength concrete. Mater

Journal;32:4122–51.
[17] Serna P, Arango S, Ribeiro T, Nunez AM, Garcia-Taengua E. (2009) Structural cast-

inplace SFRC: technology, control criteria and recent applications in Spain. Mater Struct, Vol.

(42), 1233–46.

[18]Tiberti G, Minelli F, Plizzari G. (2014) Reinforcement optimization of fiber reinforced

concrete linings for conventional tunnels. Compos Part B Eng, Vol. (58),:199–207.

[19] Tomlinson D, Fam A. (2014) Experimental investigation of precast concrete insulated

sandwich panels with glass fiber-reinforced polymer shear connectors. ACI Struct J, Vol.

(111),:595–606.

[20] Pujadas P, Blanco A, Cavalaro S, Aguado A. (2014) Plastic fibres as the only

reinforcement for flat suspended slabs: experimental investigation and numerical simulation.

Constr Build Mater, Vol. (57), 92–104.

[21] Salehian, Hamidreza and Barros, Joaquim A.O. (2015) Assessment of the performance of

steel fibre reinforced self-compacting concrete in elevated slabs, Cement & Concrete

Composites Journal, Vol.(55),pp: 268–280.

[22] Fritih ,Youcef; Vidal,Thierry ;Turatsinze, Anaelet; Pons, Gerard, (2013) Flexural and

Shear Behavior of Steel Fiber Reinforced SCC Beams,KSCE Journal of Civil Engineering,

Vol.(6) No.(17), pp:1383-1393.

[23] Barros, Joaquim ; Pereira, Eduardo ; and Santos, Simão , (2007) Lightweight Panels of

Steel Fiber-Reinforced Self-Compacting Concrete, Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering,

Vol. (19) No. 4, April 1.

[24] Rao, B. Krishna and Ravindra, V. Rao , (2010) Steel fiber reinforced self compacting

concrete incorporating class f fly ash, International Journal of Engineering Science and

Technology,Vol. (2), pp. 4936-4943.

[25] Choi Y.W., Moon D.J., Chumg JS and Cho SK, (2005) Effect of PET bottles aggregate

on the properties of concrete, Cement Concrete Research, , Vol.(35), pp 776-81.

[26] Hannawi ,Kinda; Prince, William; Bernard, Shiham Kamali; (2013) Strain Capacity and

Cracking Resistance Improvement in Mortars by Adding Plastic Particles, Journal of

Materials in Civil Engineering, Vol. (25)pp:1602-1610.

[27] Verdolotti, Letizia; Iucolano, Fabio; Capasso, IIaria; Lavorgana, Marino; Iannaco,

Salvatore; Liguori, Barbara, (2014) Recycling and Recovery of PE-PP-PET-based Fiber

Polymeric Wastes as Aggregate Replacement in Lightweight Mortar: Evaluation of

Enviromental Friendly Application, Environmental Progress & Sustainable Energy, , Vol(33),

No.4, PP:1445-1451.

[28] Nabajyoti Saikia, Jorge de Brito , (2012)Use of plastic waste as aggregate in cement

mortar and concrete preparation: A review Construction and Building Materials Vol.( (34) pp:

385–401.

[29] Batayneh M., Marie I, Asi I. (2007) Use of selected waste materials in concrete mixes,

Waste Management , Vol. (27), pp 1870-6.

[30] Hannawi K, Prince W, and Kamali-Berned S. Effect of thermoplastic aggregates

incorporation on physical, mechanical and transfer behavior of cementitious materials, Waste

Biomass Vol. (1), pp 251-9, 2010.

 Fine aggregate Coarse aggregat
100

90

80

70
Percent passing

60

50

40

30

20

10

0
0.1 1 10 100

Sieve size, mm

Figure 1. Sieve analysis of fine and coarse aggregates

Figure 2.Waste plastic fibers
 Figure 3.Sketch of test apparatus used for measuring the fresh state of SCC

800
slump flowdiameter (mm)

750

700

650

600

550
F0 F0.25 F0.5 F0.75 F1.0 F1.25 F1.5 F1.75 F2.0

plastic fiber ratio%

Figure 4. Slump flow diameter (mm) for all SCCs mixes.

14

12
Slump flow time (sec)

10

0
F0 F0.25 F0.5 F0.75 F1.0 F1.25 F1.5 F1.75 F2.0

plastic fiber ratio%

Figure 5. Time required reaching a circle with 50cm diameter for all SCCs mixes
 30

25

V-funnel time (sec)

20

15

10

0
F0 F0.25 F0.5 F0.75 F1.0 F1.25 F1.5 F1.75 F2.0

plastic fiber ratio%

Figure 6. V-funnel flow time for all SCCs mixes

1.2

0.8
L-box ratio

0.6

0.4

0.2

0
F0 F0.25 F0.5 F0.75 F1.0 F1.25 F1.5 F1.75 F2.0

plastic fiber ratio%

Figure 7. L-box height ratio for all SCCs mixes

 2360
2340
Wet density Kg/m^3 2320
2300
2280
2260
2240
2220
2200
2180
F0 F0.25 F0.5 F0.75 F1.0 F1.25 F1.5 F1.75 F2.0

plastic fiber ratio%

Figure 8. Wet density for all SCCs mixes

80
70
compressive strenght( Mpa)

60
50

FC 7day MPa 40

FC 14day MPa 30

FC 28day MPa 20
10
0
F0 F0.25 F0.5 F0.75 F1.0 F1.25 F1.5 F1.75 F2.0

plastic fiber ratio %

Figure 9. Variation in compressive strength with plastic fibers ratio of all SCCs mixes
 9
8

flextural strenght (Mpa)

7
6
5
Fr 7day MPa
4
Fr 14 day MPa 3
Fr 28 day MPa 2
1
0
F0 F0.25 F0.5 F0.75 F1.0 F1.25 F1.5 F1.75 F2.0

plastic fiber ratio %

Figure10. Variation in flexural strength with plastic fibers ratio of all SCCs mixes

Figure 11.a- Failure mode after compressive test

PET-Fibers

Figure 11.b-Failure mode after Flexural strength test

 6

UPV( Km/sec) 4

0
F0 F0.25 F0.5 F0.75 F1.0 F1.25 F1.5 F1.75 F2.0

plastic fiber ratio %

Figure 12. Variation in pulse velocity with plastic fibers ratio of all SCCs mixes

Table 1 Physical properties and chemical compositions of Portland cement and fly ash
Analysis Report (%) Cement Fly ash
CaO 62.58 4.24
SiO2 20.25 56.2
Al2O3 5.31 20.17
Fe2O3 4.04 6.69
MgO 2.82 1.92
SO3 2.73 0.49
K2O 0.92 1.89
Na2O 0.22 0.58
Loss on ignition 3.02 1.78
Specific gravity 3.15 2.25
Blaine fineness (m2/kg) 326 379
 Table2 Properties of superplasticizer

Properties Superplasticizer
Name Glenium 51
Color tone Dark brown
State Liquid
Specific gravity (kg/ l) 1.07
Chemical description Modified Polycarboxylic type polymer
Recommended dosage %1-2 (% binder content)

Table 3 Mix proportions for self-compacting concrete (kg/m3)

Mix ID Cement Fly ash Sand (kg) Gravel Crush Water SP (kg) WPF
(kg) (kg) (kg) sand(kg) (kg) (%by
volume)
F0 293 99 38.592 969538 33852 826539 3592 0
F0.25 298 9656. 382596 96.598 3325.28 82359. 253 0.25
F0.5 292 965. 38352 96253 333593 8235. 2.6. 0.50
F0.75 299523 9653. 382593 96589 333533 823586 8 0.75
F1.0 299529 96523 329539 939583 3385.3 82.593 853. 1.00
F1.25 29658 97.6. 32656. 9365828 332592 82.589 85. 1.25
F1.5 293583 935.2 323532 938592 332582 82.588 . 1.50
F1.75 29.588 93539. 328533 933568 3.95.9 828569 .53. 1.75
F2.0 294.16 93528 322582 9325.8 3.9593 828583. .592 2.00

Table 4 Fresh properties and wet density of all mixes of SCC.

Mix ID Slump flow T50 Slump V-funnel L-box ratio Wet density
mm flow time time (sec) Kg/m3
(sec)
F0 780 3 9 1.00 2340
F0.25 760 5 11 0.95 2320
F0.5 750 6 13 0.90 2315
F0.75 740 7.5 14 0.88 2300
F1.0 720 8 16 0.85 2285
F1.25 700 8.5 18 0.82 2270
F1.5 690 9.5 20 0.80 2255
F1.75 670 10 22 0.78 2245
F2.0 650 12 25 0.75 2235
EFNARC 600-750 3.5-6.0 3-15 0.8-1.0
Table 5 Hardened properties
Mix ID FC 7day FC 14day FC 28day Fr 7day Fr 14 day Fr 82 day
MPa MPa MPa MPa MPa MPa
F0 83 .8 .2 359. 256. 8529
F0.25 .2 .. 33 252 853 859.
F0.5 .3 33 39 256. 853. 353.
F0.75 .8 38 68 8539 .539 3522
F1.0 .3 33 62 .52 .56. 3529
F1.25 .8 39 6. .533 3522 653.
F1.5 .2 .9 63 353. 3539 659.
F1.75 .2 .. 62 3599 653. 9
F2.0 86 .2 .. 3 35. 253.

Table 6 Test results of UPV

Mix ID Age days UPV Km/s
F0 28 3.60
F0.25 28 5.20
F0.5 28 4.80
F0.75 28 4.50
F1.0 28 4.13
F1.25 28 3.67
F1.5 28 3.40
F1.75 28 4.64
F2.0 28 4.06

Highlights

 -PET wastes resulting from cutting beverage bottles can be used as fibers for

reinforcing self-compacting concrete.

 Adding waste plastic fibers leading to decreasing in wet density values of all self-

compacting concrete mixes.

 Adding of waste plastic fibers has positive effects on compressive strength and

flexural strength of self-compacting concrete.