Effect of fiber reinforced polymer wastes on mechanical properties of cement-based composites

In this study, the use of fiber reinforced polymer waste in cement based composites was investigated experimentally. In the experiments, fiber reinforced polymer wastes prepared by cutting 1-1.5 cm lengths of three different fiber types (Carbon, Glass, Aramid) were added to the cement mortar at 0.3%, 0.6% and 0.9% by volume and cement based composites with 2 different S/W ratios (0.40 and 0.55) were prepared. A total of 180 standard prism specimens measuring 40x40x160 mm were produced from the prepared mixture, along with the reference, for a total of 20 different mixture groups. After being removed from the mold, the specimens were cured in a standard curing tank for 28 days. Physical properties such as dry unit weight, water absorption, porosity, and ultrasonic transmission velocity, as well as mechanical properties such as flexural and compressive strength, were experimentally determined. It was observed that dry unit weight, water absorption, and porosity values increased with increasing water to cement ratio, whereas the ultrasonic transmission velocity, compressive strength and flexural strength values decreased.