Assessment of influence of granite waste powder on fresh, mechanical and durability characteristics of fibre reinforced self-compacting concrete

In recent years the integration of sustainable supplementary cementitious materials in construction has gained substantial importance as part of efforts to improve carbon neutrality and reduce the ecological footprint of building industries. Sustainable development seeks the minimization of natural resource consumption by enhancing efficiency in their reuse and recycling processes. Granite waste powder was partially replaced for cement at percentages of 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, and 25% by weight of cement. Polypropylene chopped fibers were added in the concrete mixture at volumetric percentages of 0%, 0.1%, 0.2%, 0.3%, and 0.4%. The fresh properties of concrete such as flowability, passing ability and resistance to segregation were performed to check the self-compacting characteristics of various mix. Mechanical properties such as compressive strength, tensile strength, and flexural strength have been analyzed in order to ascertain the structural behavior. Also, durability properties such as water absorption, chloride penetration resistance and acid attack resistance have been studied so as to estimate the long-term performance of fibre reinforced self-compacting concrete. Experimental results obtained indicate that there is a synergy effect due to the inclusion of granite waste powder and polypropylene fibers on fresh and hardened characteristics. It improves the eco-efficiency of the concrete with respect to cement substitution by granite waste and maintains the workability and sufficient strength. By this approach, it is possible to reduce the construction cost besides supporting environmental sustainability by reducing waste production and conserving natural resources.