Polypropylene Fibers to Resist Concrete Spalling Caused by Fire

Authors

  • Alaa Al-Najjar, Hussein Kareem Sultan, Sarah Safaaldeen Musa

Abstract

In fast-heated concrete the explosive behavior of concrete is observed in fire. The key factors regulating the spalling phenomenon are attributable to the low porosity and high density of the material, as well as the restricted capacity to move gases and liquids. Therefore the chance of spalling is much higher for high-strength, ultra-high-strength, and reactive powder concrete than for concrete with normal-strength. This paper provides a description of explosive concrete spalling at explosion. An area of engineering design, implementation, and study that produces contradictory theoretical and practical advice is the use of polypropylene fibers in concrete to prevent explosive spalling in the event of an explosion. This study offers a thorough analysis of the many considerations that need to be addressed in the design of a fiber-reinforced shotcrete and in-situ concrete to satisfy not only the customer's requirements for cost-effective construction, but also the requirements of the engineer for guaranteed optimal resistance to explosive spilling and the contractor's all important ability to easily mix and position the concrete, on time and by definition. Fiber forms, dosage, efficiency and safety margins, mixing and distribution are studied, and the impact on concrete properties.

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Published

2020-05-18

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Section

Articles