• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
• /
• v.14 no.1
• /
• pp.102-108
• /
• 2010

The main objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of recycled PET (RPET) fiber made from waste PET bottles to examine application on concrete member. To evaluate the reinforcement effect of RPET fiber in concrete member, experimental tests were performed, such as mechanical property tests (compressive strength, modulus of elasticity and splitting tensile strength) and drying shrinkage test. In mechanical property tests, compressive strength and modulus of elasticity in concrete mixed with RPET fiber gradually decreased, but splitting tensile strength gradually increased as volume fraction of fiber increased. In drying shrinkage test, free drying shrinkage increased. In restrained case, in contrast, crack occurrence was delayed because of tensile resistance increase by RPET fiber. The comparison of RPET and PP fiber added concrete specimen's properties showed that two materials had similar properties. In conclusion, RPET fiber is an alternative material of PP fiber, even finer for its excellence in eco-friendliness due to the recycling of waste PET bottles and its possible contribution to the pollution declination.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
• /
• v.29 no.5A
• /
• pp.543-550
• /
• 2009

This study was performed to prove the possibility of utilizing short plastic fibers made for recycled polyethylene terephthalate (RPET) as a structural material. In order to verify the capacity of RPET fiber, it was compared with polypropylene (PP) fiber, most widely used short synthetic fiber, for fiber volume fraction of 0%, 0.5%, 0.75%, and 1.0%. To measure material properties such as compressive strength, split tensile strength, appropriate tests were performed. Also, to measure the strength and ductility capacities of reinforced concrete (RC) member casted with RPET fiber added concrete, flexural test was performed on RC beams. The results showed that compressive strength decreased, as fiber volume fraction increased. These trends are similarly observed in the tests of PP fiber added concrete specimens. Split cylinder tensile strength of RPET fiber reinforced concrete increased slightly as fiber volume fraction increased. For structural member performance, ultimate strength, relative ductility and energy absorption of RPET added RC beam are significantly larger than OPC specimen. Also, the results showed that ultimate flexural strength and ductility both increased, as fiber volume fraction increased. These trends are similarly observed in the tests of PP fiber added concrete specimens. The study results indicate that RPET fiber can be used as an effective additional reinforcing material in concrete members.

• Proceedings of the Korea Concrete Institute Conference
• /
• 2009.05a
• /
• pp.545-546
• /
• 2009

This study was performed to prove the possibility of utilizing short plastic fibers made for recycled polyethylene terephthalate (RPET) as a structural material. To measure of crack control capacity, restrained drying shrinkage cracking test was performed. In order to verify the capacity of RPET fiber, it was compared with poly propylene (PP) fiber, most widely used short synthetic fiber, for fiber volume fraction of 0%, 0.5%, 0.75%, and 1.0%.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
• /
• v.17 no.1
• /
• pp.114-123
• /
• 2013

This study was performed to verify the structural reinforcing effect of recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fiber. In order to verify the structural reinforcing capacity of RPET fiber, recycled PET fiber added RC slab specimens were prepared to examine the flexural capacity while those of plain concrete and those of added with PP fiber, and the behavior of the specimens were also evaluated. The result shows that the compressive strength reduces as the fiber volume fraction increases, and the rate of reduction varies from 2% to 7%. The result of the flexural capacity shows that the ultimate capacity of plain specimens is the highest compare to those fiber reinforced specimens, but it has shown that specimens reinforced by 5% PET fiber has the highest energy absorption and the ductility index. In the application of PET fiber in slab specimens has shown that ductility capacity have increased where the ultimate capacity decreasing. That is the different tendency of beam specimens, which the ultimate capacity and the ductility of those have both shown the improvement compare to plain concrete specimens, which means the reinforcing effect of PET fiber in slab is less strong than in beam. Therefore, the application of PET fiber in slab structures as reinforcement needs the proper mix proportion of concrete and volume fraction of PET fiber with deep consideration of the structures.