Study of the durability of concrete mixed with polypropylene fibers

Abstract In order to study the durability of cementitious composites with polypropylene fibers, several experimental tests have been carried out. In this study, the durability was studied using three major indicators which can be summarized in: the porosity accessible to water eb, the permeability to Kapp.gas oxygen and the Dns diffusivity. The porosity test was carried out to evaluate the absorption rate which remains significant compared to concrete without fibers; the chloride permeability test was carried out to assess the permeability of the concrete and the diffusivity test to determine the resistance of the composite to aggressive chemical agents. Test results revealed that all mixtures had low to very low chloride permeability. The increase in porosity for the different strengths with polypropylene fibers ranged from 1.50% to 3.75% compared to the reference mixture. For these durability tests, the composite was tested with different strengths of polypropylene fibers (0.05%, 0.10%, 0.30% and 0.50%). The results showed that the addition of polypropylene fibers in a cement matrix does not affect the durability of the composite but increases its resistance to fire, which favors its use in structures exposed to fire risks.