On the mechanical characteristics of fiber reinforced polymer concrete

Polymer Concrete (PC) is a composite material made by fully replacing the cement hydrate binders of conventional cement concrete with polymer binders or liquid resins. As expected, the physico-mechanical properties of PC concrete are governed by the composition of the PC mixture. The present study aims to examine the effect of the aggregate type and of the addition of steel fibers on the mechanical properties of PC. In particular, two PC concrete mixtures, using granite or silica aggregates, have been developed and the effect of the addition of steel fibers has been investigated. The PC mixtures are characterized by mechanical tests such as the compression test, the flexural test, the splitting tensile test and the estimation of the energy absorption. The results of this study demonstrate a relative superiority, in terms of mechanical properties, of the PC made with granite aggregates as compared to that of the silica aggregate mixture. Moreover, the addition of steel fibers on PC mixtures showed a significant increase of the compressive toughness, of the splitting tensile and of the flexural strength, whereas the Young