BEHAVIOR OF HIGH-DENSITY POLYETHYLENE FIBER REINFORCED CONCRETE EXPOSED TO ELEVATED TEMPERATURES OF ABOUT 220°C

Fiber-reinforced concrete has been popular in its use in the recent past. Limited authors have reported the influences of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) fiber in concrete. There is a possibility that the concrete may be exposed to higher temperatures. The mechanical and microstructure properties of high-density polyethylene fiber reinforced concrete (HDPE-FC) exposed to higher temperatures up to 220°C have been investigated in this study. Thus, this study shall add some helpful information on the behavior of HDPE-FC at elevated temperatures. Experiments disclosed the influences of temperature treatment on the mechanical properties of HDPE fiber reinforced concrete. Melting of fiber due to the application of temperatures up to 125°C promotes smaller channels in the concrete. Differential scanning calorimetric (DSC) and thermogravimetric (TG) disclosed the temperature ranges of the dissolution reactions in the HDPE fiber reinforced concrete. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) examination showed additional pores and smaller conduits formed in the concrete due to the melting of fiber.