Physical, strength, and microscale properties of plastic fiber-reinforced concrete containing fine ceramics particles

The use of recycled ceramic and plastic waste in civil engineering applications, such as developing engineered composites, is a promising waste management technique than landfilling. This experimental study investigates the engineering properties of concrete made with ceramic tile wastes as fine aggregates and Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles as fibers. Ceramic waste (CW) was utilized in different ratios of 50% and 100% replacing the fine aggregate weight. Plastic fibers were added in ratios of 1.5% and 2.5% by weight of concrete. The engineering properties considered include the fresh state, mechanical, and water absorption. The microscale and mineralogy properties of the composite were determined using scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffractometer, respectively. The result showed that incorporating plastic fibers and ceramic waste resulted in a decrease in the slump value, hence a reduction in the workability of the fresh concrete. The concrete sample with 100% fine ceramics aggregates and 2.5% plastic fibers achieved the highest compressive strength. The tensile strength increased with increasing curing age. Overall, the tensile strength of the concrete was increased by as high as 45% by the inclusion of 100% fine ceramics aggregates and 2.5% plastic fibers. The water absorption of the concrete decreased with increasing content of ceramics and plastic fiber.