Development of furfuryl alcohol polymer concrete for South African applications

M.Ing. (Mechanical Engineering)An investigation was made to determine the feasibility of using existing international developed compositions of furfuryl alcohol polymer concrete in South African applications. Problems were encountered with these formulations and modifications were required in order to enhance the application possibilities of the material. After these modifications were made, tests were conducted to determine the effects of temperature, humidity, specimen size and variations in constituent quantities on the polymerisation reaction and properties of the material. Engineering characteristics, such as, compressive strength and durability were investigated and large scale field tests were performed to demonstrate the feasibility and simplicity of using polymer concrete. The final mix design selected for use in South Africa, polymerised within 20 minutes obtaining a compressive strength of 20 MPa in that period. This material proved stable under adverse chemical conditions and was able to withstand elevated temperatures of up to 200°C. Tests on road pothole rehabilitation slabs showed that polymer concrete can resist high stresses successfully under repeated loads and can be installed in less than 30 minutes in order to minimize traffic hold-ups. Furfuryl alcohol polymer concrete can be made at a cost of approximately 50c/kg and proves to be cost-effective when compared with epoxies