Mechanical property enhancement in concrete composites with hybrid polypropylene fibre reinforcement
Abstract Hybrid fibre-reinforced concrete is a specialised construction material known for its enhanced mechanical strength and durability. However, there is limited research available on hybridising three types of fibre in concrete. In this study, concrete was enhanced by incorporating three types...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2025-07-01
|
| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-04219-6 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849766942893670400 |
|---|---|
| author | Chiang Ti Tan Ming Kun Yew Ming Chain Yew Foo Wei Lee Siong Kang Lim Jing Han Beh Jin Chai Lee Jee Hock Lim |
| author_facet | Chiang Ti Tan Ming Kun Yew Ming Chain Yew Foo Wei Lee Siong Kang Lim Jing Han Beh Jin Chai Lee Jee Hock Lim |
| author_sort | Chiang Ti Tan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Hybrid fibre-reinforced concrete is a specialised construction material known for its enhanced mechanical strength and durability. However, there is limited research available on hybridising three types of fibre in concrete. In this study, concrete was enhanced by incorporating three types of polypropylene (PP) fibre, namely Macro, Barchip and Monofilament PP fibre, with volume fractions of 0%, 0.1%, 0.2%, and 0.3%. Recycled granite powder was also used to partially replace fine aggregate to improve matrix density and promote sustainability. Results revealed that increasing fibre volume fractions significantly boosted mechanical properties. The Macro-Barchip-Monofilament (MBM) PP fibre mixture showed superior strength performance compared to the Barchip-Monofilament (BM) PP fibre mixture, with the MBM mix with fibre volume fractions of 0.3% achieving compressive, splitting tensile, and flexural strength improvements of 4.84%, 10.02%, and 15.83%, respectively. These enhancements were largely due to the combined effects of the hybrid PP fibres. While Barchip PP fibre effectively mitigated crack propagation, Macro PP fibre offered fine reinforcement to limit crack widths. Meanwhile, the dispersion of Monofilament PP fibre within the concrete matrix contributed to increased homogeneity. Nevertheless, the addition of hybrid PP fibres adversely affected workability, as evidenced by a 58.33% drop in slump values and an 84.62% rise in Vebe time. Furthermore, the ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) test highlighted advancements in concrete quality and scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis demonstrated that fibre reinforcement enhanced the microstructure and bonding within the concrete. Post-cracking performance assessments confirmed the role of hybrid PP fibres in improving residual strength. Altogether, the findings indicate that hybrid PP fibre-reinforced concrete holds significant potential for creating durable and sustainable building materials. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-3ee18fc957d94e16a29c2b88e96f6cdb |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-3ee18fc957d94e16a29c2b88e96f6cdb2025-08-20T03:04:25ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-07-0115111710.1038/s41598-025-04219-6Mechanical property enhancement in concrete composites with hybrid polypropylene fibre reinforcementChiang Ti Tan0Ming Kun Yew1Ming Chain Yew2Foo Wei Lee3Siong Kang Lim4Jing Han Beh5Jin Chai Lee6Jee Hock Lim7Lee Kong Chian Faculty of Engineering and Science, Universiti Tunku Abdul RahmanLee Kong Chian Faculty of Engineering and Science, Universiti Tunku Abdul RahmanDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi PETRONASLee Kong Chian Faculty of Engineering and Science, Universiti Tunku Abdul RahmanLee Kong Chian Faculty of Engineering and Science, Universiti Tunku Abdul RahmanLee Kong Chian Faculty of Engineering and Science, Universiti Tunku Abdul RahmanDepartment of Civil Engineering, UCSI UniversityLee Kong Chian Faculty of Engineering and Science, Universiti Tunku Abdul RahmanAbstract Hybrid fibre-reinforced concrete is a specialised construction material known for its enhanced mechanical strength and durability. However, there is limited research available on hybridising three types of fibre in concrete. In this study, concrete was enhanced by incorporating three types of polypropylene (PP) fibre, namely Macro, Barchip and Monofilament PP fibre, with volume fractions of 0%, 0.1%, 0.2%, and 0.3%. Recycled granite powder was also used to partially replace fine aggregate to improve matrix density and promote sustainability. Results revealed that increasing fibre volume fractions significantly boosted mechanical properties. The Macro-Barchip-Monofilament (MBM) PP fibre mixture showed superior strength performance compared to the Barchip-Monofilament (BM) PP fibre mixture, with the MBM mix with fibre volume fractions of 0.3% achieving compressive, splitting tensile, and flexural strength improvements of 4.84%, 10.02%, and 15.83%, respectively. These enhancements were largely due to the combined effects of the hybrid PP fibres. While Barchip PP fibre effectively mitigated crack propagation, Macro PP fibre offered fine reinforcement to limit crack widths. Meanwhile, the dispersion of Monofilament PP fibre within the concrete matrix contributed to increased homogeneity. Nevertheless, the addition of hybrid PP fibres adversely affected workability, as evidenced by a 58.33% drop in slump values and an 84.62% rise in Vebe time. Furthermore, the ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) test highlighted advancements in concrete quality and scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis demonstrated that fibre reinforcement enhanced the microstructure and bonding within the concrete. Post-cracking performance assessments confirmed the role of hybrid PP fibres in improving residual strength. Altogether, the findings indicate that hybrid PP fibre-reinforced concrete holds significant potential for creating durable and sustainable building materials.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-04219-6Mechanical propertiesFibre-reinforced concreteHybrid polypropylene fibreComposite materialsRecycled material |
| spellingShingle | Chiang Ti Tan Ming Kun Yew Ming Chain Yew Foo Wei Lee Siong Kang Lim Jing Han Beh Jin Chai Lee Jee Hock Lim Mechanical property enhancement in concrete composites with hybrid polypropylene fibre reinforcement Scientific Reports Mechanical properties Fibre-reinforced concrete Hybrid polypropylene fibre Composite materials Recycled material |
| title | Mechanical property enhancement in concrete composites with hybrid polypropylene fibre reinforcement |
| title_full | Mechanical property enhancement in concrete composites with hybrid polypropylene fibre reinforcement |
| title_fullStr | Mechanical property enhancement in concrete composites with hybrid polypropylene fibre reinforcement |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mechanical property enhancement in concrete composites with hybrid polypropylene fibre reinforcement |
| title_short | Mechanical property enhancement in concrete composites with hybrid polypropylene fibre reinforcement |
| title_sort | mechanical property enhancement in concrete composites with hybrid polypropylene fibre reinforcement |
| topic | Mechanical properties Fibre-reinforced concrete Hybrid polypropylene fibre Composite materials Recycled material |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-04219-6 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT chiangtitan mechanicalpropertyenhancementinconcretecompositeswithhybridpolypropylenefibrereinforcement AT mingkunyew mechanicalpropertyenhancementinconcretecompositeswithhybridpolypropylenefibrereinforcement AT mingchainyew mechanicalpropertyenhancementinconcretecompositeswithhybridpolypropylenefibrereinforcement AT fooweilee mechanicalpropertyenhancementinconcretecompositeswithhybridpolypropylenefibrereinforcement AT siongkanglim mechanicalpropertyenhancementinconcretecompositeswithhybridpolypropylenefibrereinforcement AT jinghanbeh mechanicalpropertyenhancementinconcretecompositeswithhybridpolypropylenefibrereinforcement AT jinchailee mechanicalpropertyenhancementinconcretecompositeswithhybridpolypropylenefibrereinforcement AT jeehocklim mechanicalpropertyenhancementinconcretecompositeswithhybridpolypropylenefibrereinforcement |