Strength Performance of Concrete by using Polyethylene-Terephthalate Waste Fibers as Concrete Constitute

Abstract

Plastic is the most commonly used manufactured material because of its lower manufacturing cost, availability, durability, and long life. Plastic also has one of the lowest rates of decomposition. Because of this characteristic, the removal of plastic from the environment is a very tough task. This paper represents experimental values of the strength performance of concrete modified with waste plastic fibers. For the investigations, polypropylene-terephthalate (PET) waste bottles were utilized. In this study, we obtained compressive, flexural, and splitting tensile strength, which led us to the establishment of the constructiveness of PET fibers as concrete constituents. A total of 14 batches of concrete were made of M25 and M40 grade concrete. Waste PET fibers were added to the concrete in varying fractions, ranging from 0% to 1.5%, with a constant interval of 0.25 by volume mix. A major objective is to determine the quantity of PET to be included in the concrete mix. According to the findings, the strength behavior of M25 and M40 concrete mixes is similar to some extent. The splitting tensile strength indicated an increment with the usage of PET fibers till 1.5%, whereas the compressive strength and flexural strength resulted in a slight decrement with the addition of PET fibers from 1% onwards by volume of concrete. This improved PET concrete can be utilized appropriately in circumstances that demand low-strength and lightweight construction work.