A Review on the Effect of Synthetic Fibres, Including Macro Fibres, on the Thermal Behaviour of Fibre-Reinforced Concrete

The mechanical properties of concrete degrade rapidly when exposed to elevated temperatures. Adding fibres to concrete can enhance its thermal stability and residual mechanical characteristics under high-temperature conditions. Various types of fibres, including steel, synthetic and natural fibres,...

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Main Authors: Peyman Mehrabi, Ulrike Dackermann, Rafat Siddique, Maria Rashidi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-12-01
Series:Buildings
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/14/12/4006
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author Peyman Mehrabi
Ulrike Dackermann
Rafat Siddique
Maria Rashidi
author_facet Peyman Mehrabi
Ulrike Dackermann
Rafat Siddique
Maria Rashidi
author_sort Peyman Mehrabi
collection DOAJ
description The mechanical properties of concrete degrade rapidly when exposed to elevated temperatures. Adding fibres to concrete can enhance its thermal stability and residual mechanical characteristics under high-temperature conditions. Various types of fibres, including steel, synthetic and natural fibres, are available for this purpose. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the impact of synthetic fibres on the performance of fibre-reinforced concrete at high temperatures. It evaluates conventional synthetic fibres, including polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fibres, as well as newly emerging macro fibres that improve concrete’s fire resistance properties. The novelty of this review lies in its focus on macro fibres as a promising alternative to conventional synthetic fibres. The findings reveal that PE fibres significantly influence the residual mechanical properties of fibre-reinforced concrete at high temperatures. Although PVA fibres may reduce compressive strength at elevated temperatures, they help reduce micro-cracking and increase flexibility and flexural strength. Finally, this review demonstrates that while conventional synthetic fibres are effective in limiting fire-induced damage, macro fibres offer enhanced benefits, including improved toughness, energy absorption, durability, corrosion resistance, and post-cracking capacity. This study provides valuable insights for developing fibre-reinforced concrete with superior high-temperature performance. Steel fibres offer superior strength but are prone to corrosion and spalling, while PP fibres effectively reduce explosive spalling but provide limited strength improvement. PE fibres enhance flexural performance, and PVA fibres improve tensile strength and shrinkage control, although their performance decreases at high temperatures. Macro fibres stand out for their post-cracking capacity and toughness, offering a lightweight alternative with better overall durability.
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spelling doaj-art-a966f3aee4cc467fb18860ccda822de52025-08-20T02:55:39ZengMDPI AGBuildings2075-53092024-12-011412400610.3390/buildings14124006A Review on the Effect of Synthetic Fibres, Including Macro Fibres, on the Thermal Behaviour of Fibre-Reinforced ConcretePeyman Mehrabi0Ulrike Dackermann1Rafat Siddique2Maria Rashidi3Centre for Infrastructure Engineering, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW 2751, AustraliaSchool of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2033, AustraliaCivil Engineering Department, Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology, Deemed University, Patiala 147004, Punjab, IndiaCentre for Infrastructure Engineering, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW 2751, AustraliaThe mechanical properties of concrete degrade rapidly when exposed to elevated temperatures. Adding fibres to concrete can enhance its thermal stability and residual mechanical characteristics under high-temperature conditions. Various types of fibres, including steel, synthetic and natural fibres, are available for this purpose. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the impact of synthetic fibres on the performance of fibre-reinforced concrete at high temperatures. It evaluates conventional synthetic fibres, including polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fibres, as well as newly emerging macro fibres that improve concrete’s fire resistance properties. The novelty of this review lies in its focus on macro fibres as a promising alternative to conventional synthetic fibres. The findings reveal that PE fibres significantly influence the residual mechanical properties of fibre-reinforced concrete at high temperatures. Although PVA fibres may reduce compressive strength at elevated temperatures, they help reduce micro-cracking and increase flexibility and flexural strength. Finally, this review demonstrates that while conventional synthetic fibres are effective in limiting fire-induced damage, macro fibres offer enhanced benefits, including improved toughness, energy absorption, durability, corrosion resistance, and post-cracking capacity. This study provides valuable insights for developing fibre-reinforced concrete with superior high-temperature performance. Steel fibres offer superior strength but are prone to corrosion and spalling, while PP fibres effectively reduce explosive spalling but provide limited strength improvement. PE fibres enhance flexural performance, and PVA fibres improve tensile strength and shrinkage control, although their performance decreases at high temperatures. Macro fibres stand out for their post-cracking capacity and toughness, offering a lightweight alternative with better overall durability.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/14/12/4006macro fibrepolypropylenepolyethylenepolyvinyl alcoholfibrous concretefire-induced damage
spellingShingle Peyman Mehrabi
Ulrike Dackermann
Rafat Siddique
Maria Rashidi
A Review on the Effect of Synthetic Fibres, Including Macro Fibres, on the Thermal Behaviour of Fibre-Reinforced Concrete
Buildings
macro fibre
polypropylene
polyethylene
polyvinyl alcohol
fibrous concrete
fire-induced damage
title A Review on the Effect of Synthetic Fibres, Including Macro Fibres, on the Thermal Behaviour of Fibre-Reinforced Concrete
title_full A Review on the Effect of Synthetic Fibres, Including Macro Fibres, on the Thermal Behaviour of Fibre-Reinforced Concrete
title_fullStr A Review on the Effect of Synthetic Fibres, Including Macro Fibres, on the Thermal Behaviour of Fibre-Reinforced Concrete
title_full_unstemmed A Review on the Effect of Synthetic Fibres, Including Macro Fibres, on the Thermal Behaviour of Fibre-Reinforced Concrete
title_short A Review on the Effect of Synthetic Fibres, Including Macro Fibres, on the Thermal Behaviour of Fibre-Reinforced Concrete
title_sort review on the effect of synthetic fibres including macro fibres on the thermal behaviour of fibre reinforced concrete
topic macro fibre
polypropylene
polyethylene
polyvinyl alcohol
fibrous concrete
fire-induced damage
url https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/14/12/4006
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