The Effect of High Temperatures on the Flexural Strength of Cement Mortar Modified by the Addition of Polypropylene Fibres
Journal Title: Safety & Fire Technology - Year 2018, Vol 51, Issue 3
Abstract
Aim: The aim of this paper is to determine the effect of high temperature on changes in the flexural strength of cement mortar with and without the addition of polypropylene fibres (PP), following a predefined test procedure. In order to eliminate the effect of coarse aggregate on the flexural strength of the composite, cement mortar with the addition of polypropylene fibres was used in the tests. Due to the fact that coarse aggregate is inhomogeneous and sensitive to temperature increases, it could significantly distort the results. Introduction: The aim of the study was to show how the addition of polypropylene fibres influenced changes in the flexural strength. Due to the fact that this strength has a significant impact on the phenomenon of thermal spalling, it was the main focus of the study. As part of the study, a range of tests were performed to measure the flexural strength of samples with and without the addition of polypropylene fibres, pre-heated at temperatures ranging from 20°C to 600°. One type of fibre was used for all the variants of strength tests, in line with the plan of the experiment. Methods: The paper is based on measurements of the flexural strength reductions for rectangular-prism bars sized 40 x 40 x 160 mm. The test results for composites with and without the addition of fibres heated at different temperatures were compared and presented in detailed diagrams. Results: A comparison of the results of tests involving samples with and without the addition of PP fibres leads to the conclusion that the addition of PP fibres significantly improves the flexural strength of cementitious composites. Conclusions: In the entire temperature range from 20°C to 600°C, cement mortars with polypropylene fibres showed higher flexural strengths. The heating of mortars with and without the addition of polypropylene fibres resulted in a significant decrease in their tensile strengths as the temperature increased. The addition of 1.8 kg/m3 in polypropylene fibres can significantly reduce the cracking in the first phase of concrete hardening. The tests confirmed the applicability of polypropylene fibres in cement mortar, as their addition significantly improves the flexural strength at both high and normal temperatures. The positive effect of polypropylene fibres is also confirmed by other studies conducted in Poland and abroad. Keywords: cement composite, polypropylene fibres, strength, thermal spalling, flexural strength, high temperature, concrete Type of article: original scientific article
Authors and Affiliations
Tomasz Drzymała, Bartosz Zegardło, Wioletta Jackiewicz-Rek, Daniel Sowiński
Keywords
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- EP ID EP450939
- DOI 10.12845/bitp.51.3.2018.2
- Views 95
- Downloads 0
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