Influence of polyvinyl alcohol fibre addition on fresh and hardened properties of concrete

This investigation assesses the performance of using uncoated poly-vinyl alcohol (PVA) fibres of two geometric lengths (6 and 12 mm) in concrete. Based on total concrete volume, 3 fibre fractions of 0.25%, 0.5% and 1% were evaluated for their effect on fresh and hardened properties of PVA fibre reinforced concretes (FRCs). By carrying out a comprehensive set of experiments, an effective method of mixing fibre was adopted (based on modification of the Australian Standard AS 1012.2 test method). In comparison to control concrete (devoid of PVA fibre), slump and mass per unit volume were found to decrease while air content remained similar with increasing fibre addition. Optimum fibre addition was established for 0.25% PVA-FRC with 16% improvement noted in compressive strength compared to control concrete at 28 days. Relative strength gain from 7 to 28 days was also observed to be higher for all PVA-FRCs