The Use of Dispersed Plastic Reinforcement in Concrete

Abstract. The article deals with the issue of the usefulness of plastic reinforcement dispersed in concrete, including polypropylene fibers, and the impact of the amount of dosing of such fibers was assessed. The amount of addition was analyzed in the range of 0.5 to 2.0 kg/m3. Fibrillated fibers arranged in bundles and crimped fibers were used in the tests. Fibers with a length of 50 mm were analyzed. The results were compared with test series with the addition of steel barbed fibers 50 mm long and 1.0 mm in diameter. The tests showed that steel fibers do not adversely affect the designed consistency of the concrete mix, unlike polypropylene fibers. The tests showed that, for strength and technological reasons, in the case of concrete reinforced with the addition of up to 20 kg/m3 of steel fibers, polypropylene fibers in the amount of 1.5 kg/m3 can be successfully used, with a decrease in bending and compressive strength not exceeding 10%.