Influence of Waste PET Bottle Particles and Steel Fibers on Fresh Properties of Concrete

Abstract

Fiber-reinforced concrete containing wastes is trending nowadays due to its better performance and modified mechanical properties when compared to conventional concrete. Those wastes include artificial and natural fibers which are low density, lightweight, environment-friendly, and cost-friendly as well. Steel fibers along with waste PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) bottle particles with varying percentages are used to study the combined effect on concrete. Fresh properties of concrete strongly depend on the dynamic and mechanical properties of concrete. So, it is important to determine the fresh concrete’s workability for easy handling and pouring. The study aims to determine the effect of steel fibers and waste PET bottle particles with different percentages on the properties of fresh concrete. Pozzolanic material and admixture are used to enhance the workability of concrete. In this study, three combinations are made by keeping the constant percentage of steel fibers i.e. 2% by volume, and varying percentages of PET bottle particles. Plain concrete (PC) is designed for the strength of 30MPa and slump, fresh density, and compaction factor tests were conducted for examining the fresh concrete properties. The concrete’s workability is checked by doing a slump cone test, compaction factor test, and fresh density, then results are compared with PC. The results showed that by adding steel fibers (SFs) and washed PET bottle particles, the value of the slump decreased by 18.2% for the mixture containing 5% PET particles, 41% for the mixture containing 10% PET particles, and 59% for the mixture containing 15% PET particles when compared with PC.