• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.35-48
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• 2022

The effect of discrete polypropylene fibre reinforcement on shear strength parameters, tensile properties and isotropic index of stabilized compacted residual subgrade was investigated. Composites of compacted subgrade were developed from polypropylene fibre dosage of 0%, 1%, 2.5% and 4% and 3% cement binder. Saturated compacted soil benefited from incremental fibre dosage, the mobilized friction coefficient increased to a maximum at 2.5% fibre dosage from 0.41 to 0.58 and the contribution due to further increase in fibre dosage was marginal. Binder stabilization increased the degree of isotropy for unreinforced soil at lower fibre dosage of 1% and then decreased with higher fibre dosage. Saturation of 3% binder stabilized soil decreased the soil friction angle and the degree of isotropy for both unstabilized and binder stabilized soil increased with fibre dosage. The maximum tensile stress of 3% binder stabilized fibre reinforced residual soil was 3-fold that of 3% binder stabilized unreinforced soil. The difference in computed and measured maximum tensile and tangential stress decreased with increase in fibre dosage and degree of stabilization and polypropylene fibre reinforced soil met local and international criteria for road construction subgrade.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.79-85
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• 2017

This paper summarizes the experimental study of the shear behaviour of Hybrid Fibre Reinforced Concrete (HFRC) beams retrofitted by using externally bonded Glass Fibre Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) laminates. To attain the set-out objectives of the present investigation, steel fibre of 1% and polypropylene fibre of 0.30% was used for hybrid steel-polypropylene fibre reinforced concrete: whereas for hybrid glass-polypropylene fibre reinforced concrete, glass fibre by 0.03% and polypropylene fibre of 0.03% by volume of concrete was used. In this study, 9 numbers of beams were cast and tested into three groups (Group I, II & III). Each group containing 3 numbers of beams, out of which one serve as a control beam or a hybrid steel-polypropylene fibre reinforced concrete beam or a hybrid glass - polypropylene fibre reinforced concrete beam and the remaining two beams were preloaded until shear cracks appeared up to 75% of ultimate load and then preloaded beams (damaged beams) were retrofitted with GFRP laminates at shear zone in the form of strips, as one beam in vertical position and another beam in inclined position to restrict the shear cracks. Finally, the retrofitted beams were loaded until failure and test results were compared. The experimental tests have been conducted to investigate various parameters of structural performance, such as load carrying capacity, crack pattern and failure modes, load-deflection responses and ductility relations. The test results revealed that beams retrofitted using GFRP laminates considerably increased the load carrying capacity. In addition, it was found that beams retrofitted with inclined strip offers superior performance than vertical one. Comparing the test results, it was observed that hybrid steel-polypropylene fibre reinforced concrete beam retrofitted with GFRP laminates showed enhanced behaviour as compared to other tested beams.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2020

This study intends to produce an ultra-high performance fibre reinforced concrete (UHPFRC) made with hybrid fibres (i.e., steel and polypropylene). Compressive and tensile strength characteristics of the hybrid fibres UHPFRC are considered. A total of 14 fibre-reinforced composites (FRCs) with different fibre contents or types of fibres were prepared and tested in order to determine a suitable hybrid fibre combination. The compressive and tensile strengths of each concrete at 7 days were determined. The results showed that a hybrid mix of micro-polypropylene and steel fibres exhibited good compromising performances and is the ideal reinforcement mixture in a strong, cost-effective UHPFRC. In addition, maximum compressive strength of 167 MPa was achieved for UHPFRC using 1.5% steel fibres blended with 0.5% macro-polypropylene fibres.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.613-625
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• 2013

In this study, Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) analysis is used to predict the compression strength of polypropylene fibre mixed concrete. Polypropylene fibre admixture increases the compression strength of concrete to a certain extent according to mix proportion. This proportion and homogenous distribution are important parameters on compression strength. Determination of compression strength of fibre mixed concrete is significant due to the veridicality of capacity calculations. Plenty of experiments shall be completed to state the compression strength of concrete which have different fibre admixture. In each case, it is known that performing the laboratory experiments is costly and time-consuming. Therefore, ANN analysis is used to predict the 7 and 28 days of compression strength values. For this purpose, 156 test specimens are produced that have 26 different types of fibre admixture. While the results of 120 specimens are used for training process, 36 of them are separated for test process in ANN analysis to determine the validity of experimental results. Finally, it is seen that ANN analysis predicts the compression strength of concrete successfully.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.113-137
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• 2016

Extensive experimental studies on remarkable mechanical properties Polypropylene Fibre Reinforced Self-compacting Concrete (PFRSCC) have been executed, including different fibre volume fractions of Polypropylene fibers (0.25%, 0.5%, 0.75%, and 1%) and different water to cement ratios (0.21, 0.34, 0.38, and 0.41). The experimental program was carried out by using two hundred and sixteen specimens to obtain the impact resistance and mechanical properties of PFRSCC materials, considering compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, and flexural strength. Statistical and analytical studies have been mainly focused on experimental data to correlate of mechanical properties of PFRSCC materials. Statistical results revealed that compressive, splitting tensile, and flexural strengths as well as impact resistance follow the normal distribution. Moreover, to correlate mechanical properties based on acquired test results, linear and nonlinear equations were developed among mechanical properties and impact resistance of PFRSCC materials.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.503-514
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• 2015

Fibre-added concretes are frequently used in large site applications such as slab and airports as well as in bearing system elements or prefabricated elements. It is very difficult to determine the mechanical properties of the fibre-added concretes by experimental methods in situ. The purpose of this study is to develop an artificial neural network (ANN) model in order to predict the compressive and bending strengths of hybrid fibre-added and non-added concretes. The strengths have been predicted by means of the data that has been obtained from destructive (DT) and non-destructive tests (NDT) on the samples. NDTs are ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) and Rebound Hammer Tests (RH). 105 pieces of cylinder samples with a dimension of $150{\times}300mm$, 105 pieces of bending samples with a dimension of $100{\times}100{\times}400mm$ have been manufactured. The first set has been manufactured without fibre addition, the second set with the addition of %0.5 polypropylene and %0.5 steel fibre in terms of volume, and the third set with the addition of %0.5 polypropylene, %1 steel fibre. The water/cement (w/c) ratio of samples parametrically varies between 0.3-0.9. The experimentally measured compressive and bending strengths have been compared with predicted results by use of ANN method.

• Advances in aircraft and spacecraft science
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.87-103
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• 2019

Recently, natural fibre composites are widely used in aerospace industries due to their good specific mechanical properties, better acoustic properties, light weight, readily availability, biodegradability, recyclability, etc. In this study, the hemp fibre woven fabrics / polypropylene based honeycomb sandwich structure were proposed for aerospace applications. Firstly, the hemp fibre woven fabrics based honeycomb sandwich structures were manufactured and experimental mechanical tests (compressive and flexural) were performed in the laboratory. Numerical simulation was also performed and analysed to validate the proposed methodology. Different complex shaped aircraft part CAD models were created and numerical analysis was carried out in order to have a better understanding about the complex honeycomb sandwich structures.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.76 no.4
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• pp.491-503
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• 2020

This study extends previous experimental research on the shear behaviour of macrosynthetic fibre-reinforced concrete beams and compares them to steel fibre-reinforced concrete beams with similar mechanical and geometrical properties. This work employed two fibre types: 60/0.9 (long/diameter) double hooked-end steel fibre and 60/85 monofilament polypropylene fibre. Beams were tested by shear loading covering parameters, such as two different cross-section widths, two shear-span-to-effective-depth ratios, two fibre types and using repetitions with and without transverse reinforcement. For quantitative comparison purposes, crack pattern evolution was studied along increasing loads levels. Effects were studied by photogrammetry, including influence of fibres on crack propagation in uncracked and dowel zones, influence of fibres on stirrup behaviour, and shear deformation or kinematics of critical shear cracks. The results evidenced similar effectiveness for both fibre types in controlling shear crack propagation and horizontal dowel cracking. Both fibres provided similar shear ductility and shear deflections. Consequently, the authors confirm that residual flexural tensile strengths are a convenient parameter for characterising the shear behaviour of fibre-reinforced concrete beams.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.969-982
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• 2016

This paper investigates the compressive fatigue behaviour of polypropylene fibre reinforced self compacting concrete with Granite Sawing Waste (GSW). An experimental programme was conducted to obtain the fatigue lives of fibre reinforced self compacting concrete (FRSCC) at various stress levels. The stress ratio was kept constant as 0.3. Compressive fatigue test was conducted on 60 cubic specimens with 100mm edge length and 0.1% of polypropylene fibres at a frequency of 0.05Hz. The test results indicate that the fatigue lives of concretes containing granite sawing waste follow the double-parameter Weibull distribution. The fatigue strength equations have been developed based on different probabilities of failure.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.437-459
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• 2015

An experimental investigation on the behaviour of geopolymer composite concrete beams reinforced with conventional steel bars and various types of fibres namely steel, polypropylene and glass in different volume fractions under flexural loading is presented in this paper. The cross sectional dimensions and the span of the beams were same for all the beams. The first crack load, ultimate load and the loaddeflection response at various stages of loading were evaluated experimentally. The details of the finite element analysis using "ANSYS 10.0" program to predict the load-deflection behavior of geopolymer composite reinforced concrete beams on significant stages of loading are also presented. Nonlinear finite element analysis has been performed and a comparison between the results obtained from finite element analysis (FEA) and experiments were made. Analytical results obtained using ANSYS were also compared with the calculations based on theory and presented.