Effects of Waste Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) Plastic Bottles as

Fibre Reinforcement in Concrete Pavement

HENRY JAMES HERMO

NOVEMBER 2019
 Chapter I

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Concrete is the most widely used material in the world owing to its unique advantages
including its superb compressive strength. However, in general, plain concrete has higher
brittleness with increase strength, weak in tension, has limited ductility and little resistance to
cracking. This serious conundrum could be partially overcome by integrating fibers into the design
matrix of concrete; and could deal a considerable improvement on the physical properties of
concrete itself.

In fact, Sika USA claims that fibers are an ideal ingredient for use in concrete and mortars
as a method for improving these materials where they may otherwise have weaknesses. Concrete
fibers reduce shrinkage crack formation and crack widths whilst also increasing performance in
energy absorption and fire resistance.

Besides, Easy Mix Concrete UK, 2019 added that fibres help improve resistance against
tensile cracking, which is a problem that can befall concrete overtime. In non-reinforced concrete,
the concrete beams can only withstand so much stress from bending before they break apart. By
adding steel fibres to these beams, the resistance is significantly strengthened, allowing them to
withstand much greater loads before the first crack appears.

Integration of fibers into concrete or simply called a fiber-reinforce concrete as define by

The Constructor – Civil Engineering Home, 2019 is a concrete containing fibrus material which
increases its structural integrity. It contains short discrete fibers that are uniformly distributed and
randomly oriented. Fibers include steel fibers, glass fibers, synthetic fibers and natural fibers.
Within these different fibers that character of fiber reinforce concrete changes with varying
concretes, fiber materials, geometries, distribution, orientation and densities.

Interestingly, domestic waste plastics specifically PET plastic bottles could have a
potential to be utilise as a substitute for the mainstream steel fibers, glass fibers and virgin
polypropylene fibers; as well as a prospective to arrive in the highest standard of sustainable
solution for the pressing environmental concerns we are currently facing.

Statement of the Problem

Today, we are facing profound environmental crises, with unprecedented ramifications.

These crises need a bold response and sustainable development could help address this global
challenges. The goal of sustainable development is to meet the goals of today without
compromising the needs of tomorrow. Likewise, the researcher endeavours to engender the
interesting viability of waste plastic bottles in fibre-reinforce concrete that could possibly pave the
way to sustainable development: reusing plastic waste that is a big hazard in the environment and
at the same time, producing an economical and less carbon footprint building material.

Objective of the Study

1. To determine the behaviour of concrete with different amount of polyethylene

fibres ranging from 0%, 0.25%, 0.50%, 0.75% and 1.00% by weight of cement
under compressive strength test.
2. To determine the behaviour of concrete with different amount of polyethylene fiber
ranging from 0%, 0.25%, 0.50%, 0.75% and 1.00% by weight of cement under
flexural strength test.
3.

Significance of the Study

Scope and Delimitation

This study is limited only to the comparison of concretes’ compressive strength and
flexural strength with different amount of polyethylene fibres ranging from 0%, 0.5%, 1% and
1.5% by weight of cement. Moreover, this study focuses on the investigation of fibres with mean
thickness, length and breadth of 0.5 mm, 20 mm and 1 mm respectively. The testing procedure
used to determine compressive strength and flexural strength are ASTM C39 and ASTM C 78
respectively. The plastic fibres used were hand cut from a waste plastic bottles specifically
marked with recycling number 1 whose polymer name is polyethylene terephthalate (PETE or
PET) as per ASTM International Resin Identification Coding System. Concrete was prepared
with a design mixed of 1:2:4 for grade C25 samples mixed manually at a water-cement ratio of
0.6.

Methodology

Research design

Experimental method was used in the study to evaluate compressive and flexural strength
of concrete by integrating polyethylene waste plastic fibres into it.

The compressive strength and flexural strength of fibre-reinforced concrete will be tested
in Provincial Engineering Office (PEO), Materials and Testing Department. There will be 4
specimen groups

Research locale

Research procedure

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