Thermo-Mechanical Properties of Various Densities of Foamed Concrete Incorporating Polypropylene Fibres
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RESEARCH ARTICLE-CIVIL ENGINEERING
Thermo‑Mechanical Properties of Various Densities of Foamed Concrete Incorporating Polypropylene Fibres Ashfaque Ahmed Jhatial1 · Wan Inn Goh2 · Samiullah Sohu3 · Noridah Mohamad2 Received: 20 January 2020 / Accepted: 24 May 2020 © King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals 2020
Abstract Concrete has been extensively used in the development of urban infrastructure works. However, it has the tendency to absorb solar radiations, and these radiations are released back into the air in the form of heat energy. Dense concentration of infrastructures releases more heat, causing urban heat island (UHI) effect in which the ambient temperature of the urban areas rises slightly than the surrounding areas. Tropical countries which have a hot climate throughout the year are more affected by the UHI effect. Therefore, thermal insulating materials need to be introduced in the field of concrete construction. Foamed concrete, which has air voids in its matrix, is a potential thermal insulating material. But due to reduced density, it, however, achieves lower strength. Polypropylene (PP) fibres are used to reinforce the foamed concrete and improve its compressive and tensile strengths. In this study, three different densities, 1400, 1600 and 1800 kg/m3, were cast, and 0.8% PP fibres were added. The thermo-mechanical properties were investigated in terms of thermal conductivity, surface temperature, compressive and tensile strengths with and without the addition of PP fibres. Based on the findings, the addition of PP fibres gained more strength and reduced thermal conductivity in the lower densities of foamed concrete. In contrast, it had an opposite impact on 1800 kg/m3 density. The addition of PP fibres also indicated that it could reduce the surface temperature of higher-density foamed concrete compared to lower densities. Keywords Building energy efficiency · Fibre-reinforced concrete · Foamed concrete · Thermal conductivity · Sustainable building systems · Urban heat island (UHI) effect
1 Introduction According to a recent report [1], at present more than half of the world’s population is housed in urban and metropolitan areas. People over the years have migrated from the rural areas to urban areas in search of socio-economic benefits. The extensive use of building materials such as concrete * Ashfaque Ahmed Jhatial [email protected] 1
Department of Civil Engineering, Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Campus, Khairpur Mirs’, Sindh, Pakistan
2
Jamilus Research Centre, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, 86400 Parit Raja, Batu Pahat, Johor, Malaysia
3
Department of Civil Engineering, Quaid-e-Awam University of Engineering, Science and Technology, Larkana Campus, Larkana, Sindh, Pakistan
and asphalt in the development of infrastructures with the increase in urban population has been witnessed. Both the asphalt which is used mostly in urban roads and concrete which is us
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