Effect of Macro-Synthetic Polypropylene Fiber on Mechanical Properties and Drying Shrinkage Cracking of Self-Consolidating Concrete

Abstract

Development in the concrete industry led to an increasing need for faster construction, highperformance, energy-saving, and eco-friendly concrete technology. Self-consolidating concrete (SCC) has become a promising concrete technology to shorten construction time and reduce labor needs. However, SCC has susceptible to shrinkage cracking due to high binder and low aggregate content. On the other hand, fiber has been used to control cracking and increase post-cracking behavior and toughness. Fiber addition into the SCC mix has become a common method to improve cracking resistance, even though it may reduce workability. In this study, the effect of macro-synthetic fiber on the drying shrinkage of SCC is evaluated using free and restrained shrinkage tests. SCC mixtures include concrete containing different percentages of polypropylene (PP) fiber content (0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1.0% by volume). Besides that, compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, and workability in terms of Slump flow, J-Ring, and V-Funnel of fiber-reinforced SCC are also investigated. The results show that the addition of macro-synthetic fibers can delay crack formation due to drying shrinkage compared to plain SCC.