An experimental investigation of mechanical properties of concrete composites reinforced with PET fibers as per ASTM standard

Abstract

Waste plastic needs to be utilized effectively and has attracted more attention nowadays, particularly in developing countries in recent years. One of the methods to address this issue is to reuse the waste plastic in concrete. For this purpose, a green concrete is proposed, which is a combination of concrete with waste Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fibers having strength characteristics comparable to or exceeding that of render concrete. The concept of green concrete involves using discarded plastic bottles, which, if disposed of directly into landfills, are not biodegradable. PET fibers were used to enhance the mechanical properties of the concrete. Concrete grade M20 was selected for the mix design for this specific research work. The Concrete samples were prepared using ordinary Portland Cement in accordance with ASTM (C31/C31M, 2019) by mixing proportions as per IS10262, 2009. The mechanical properties of this new green concrete have been studied by adding various volumetric percentages of PET. This study demonstrates a 13 % improvement in compressive strength and 50 % improvement in split tensile strength after 7 days and 28 days of curing, respectively. Therefore, it provides an alternative and a better approach to reduce PET waste and improve concrete strength.