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Sustainable High Performance Fiber-Reinforced Cementitious Composites (HPFRCCs) and Fiber-Reinforced Polymers...
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Sustainable High Performance Fiber-Reinforced Cementitious Composites (HPFRCCs) and Fiber-Reinforced Polymers (FRPs)

A special issue of Fibers (ISSN 2079-6439).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2021) | Viewed by 21440

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Aliakbar Gholampour

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
Interests: co-friendly and sustainable composites; waste-based concrete; nanocomposite; lightweight foam composite; high-performance and ultra-high performance composite; fiber-reinforced polymers
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Tuan Ngo

E-Mail Website
Co-Guest Editor
Advanced Protective Technologies for Engineering Structures(APTES) Group, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
Interests: civil and structural engineering; disaster mitigation; security and protective engineering; sustainable buildings and infrastructure
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

High-performance fiber-reinforced cementitious composites (HPFRCCs) have received significant attention in recent years owing to their excellent mechanical, durability, and microstructural properties. In addition, fiber-reinforced polymers (FRPs) have emerged as a composite material used for advanced applications due to their excellent properties, e.g., their low production time, ability to produce long-term cost saving, light weight, and high durability properties. Therefore, HPFRCCs and FRPs can be used as promising materials for a sustainable and durable infrastructure. This Special Issue of Fibers is dedicated to sustainable HPFRCCs and FRPs. We are expecting to receive papers dealing with cutting-edge issues on the research and application of sustainable HPFRCCs and FRPs in different areas.

The topics of this Special Issue include but are not limited to the durability and mechanical properties of sustainable HPFRCCs and FRPs containing recycled and waste-based materials, HPFRCCs and FRPs that are manufactured with different types of fibers (including recycled and natural fibers), HPFRCCs and FRPs containing nanomaterials and the long-term properties of HPFRCCs and FRPs, life-cycle assessment of sustainable HPFRCCs and FRPs, and applications of sustainable FRPs. Both original contributions and reviews are welcome.

Dr. Aliakbar Gholampour
Prof. Tuan Ngo
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Fibers is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2000 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • High-performance fiber-reinforced cementitious composites (HPFRCCs)
  • Fiber-reinforced polymers (FRPs)
  • Cementitious materials
  • Concrete
  • Natural fibers
  • Recycled materials
  • Waste-based materials
  • Sustainability
  • Mechanical properties
  • Durability properties
  • Nanomaterials
  • Microstructure
  • Fire performance
  • Modeling
  • Micromechanics

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 6832 KiB  
Article
Effective Strengthening of RC Beams Using Bamboo-Fibre-Reinforced Polymer: A Finite-Element Analysis
by Jia Ning Siew, Qi Yan Tan, Kar Sing Lim, Jolius Gimbun, Kong Fah Tee and Siew Choo Chin
Fibers 2023, 11(5), 36; https://doi.org/10.3390/fib11050036 - 22 Apr 2023
Viewed by 1812
Abstract
This paper presents a finite-element model of the structural behaviour of reinforced concrete (RC) beams with and without openings externally strengthened with bamboo-fibre-reinforced composite (BFRC) plates. The simulation was performed using ABAQUS Unified FEA 2021HF8 software. The stress–strain relationship of the RC was [...] Read more.
This paper presents a finite-element model of the structural behaviour of reinforced concrete (RC) beams with and without openings externally strengthened with bamboo-fibre-reinforced composite (BFRC) plates. The simulation was performed using ABAQUS Unified FEA 2021HF8 software. The stress–strain relationship of the RC was modelled using a model code for concrete structures, whereas the concrete-damaged plasticity model was used to simulate concrete damage. The predicted crack pattern of the beams was comparable to that from experimental observations. The ultimate load-bearing capacity of RC beams in flexure was predicted with an error of up to 1.50%, while the ultimate load-bearing capacity of RC beams with openings in shear was predicted with an error ranging from 1.89 to 13.43%. The most successful arrangement for strengthening a beam with openings in the shear zone was to place BFRC plates perpendicular to the crack on both sides of the beam’s surface, which increased the beam’s original load-bearing capacity by 110.06% compared to that of the control beam (CB). The most effective method for strengthening RC beams in flexure is to attach a BFRC plate to the entire bottom soffit of the RC beam. This maximises the ultimate load-bearing capacity at the expense of the beam’s ductility. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable High Performance Fiber-Reinforced Cementitious Composites (HPFRCCs) and Fiber-Reinforced Polymers (FRPs))
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14 pages, 2751 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of the Physical and Mechanical Properties of Short Entada mannii-Glass Fiber Hybrid Composites
by Oluwayomi Peter Balogun, Kenneth Kanayo Alaneme, Adeolu Adesoji Adediran, Isiaka Oluwole Oladele, Joseph Ajibade Omotoyinbo and Kong Fah Tee
Fibers 2022, 10(3), 30; https://doi.org/10.3390/fib10030030 - 20 Mar 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2434
Abstract
This study investigates the physical and mechanical properties of short Entada mannii- glass fiber polypropylene hybrid composites. The polymeric hybrid composite was produced by combining different ratios of Entada mannii fiber (EMF)/glass fiber (GF) using the compression molding technique. The tensile properties, [...] Read more.
This study investigates the physical and mechanical properties of short Entada mannii- glass fiber polypropylene hybrid composites. The polymeric hybrid composite was produced by combining different ratios of Entada mannii fiber (EMF)/glass fiber (GF) using the compression molding technique. The tensile properties, compressive strength, impact strength and hardness were evaluated while the fracture surface morphology was examined using the scanning electron microscope (SEM). It further evaluates the moisture absorption and percentage void content of the developed composites. The experimental results show that tensile, compressive, impact and hardness properties of all the hybrid composites were significantly improved as compared with single reinforced composites. Specifically, hybrid composites (EMF/GF5) revealed an overall tensile strength of 41%, hardness of 51% and compressive strength of 47% relative to single reinforced composites, which can be ascribed to enhanced fiber–matrix bonding. The chemical treatment enhanced the EMF fiber surface and promoted good adhesion with the polypropylene (PP) matrix. Moisture absorption properties revealed that the addition of EMF/GF reduces the amount of moisture intake of the hybrid composites attributed to good cementing of the fiber–matrix interface. Morphological analysis revealed that single reinforced composites (EMF1 and GF2) were characterized by fiber pullout and deposition of voids in the composite as compared with the hybrid composites. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable High Performance Fiber-Reinforced Cementitious Composites (HPFRCCs) and Fiber-Reinforced Polymers (FRPs))
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30 pages, 8331 KiB  
Article
Mechanical, Durability and Corrosion Properties of Basalt Fiber Concrete
by Mohamed T. Elshazli, Kevin Ramirez, Ahmed Ibrahim and Mohamed Badran
Fibers 2022, 10(2), 10; https://doi.org/10.3390/fib10020010 - 21 Jan 2022
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 3595
Abstract
The effect of using basalt fibers on the fresh, mechanical, durability, and corrosion properties of reinforced concrete was investigated in this study. The study was performed using different basalt fiber volume fractions of 0.15%, 0.30%, 0.45%, and 0.50%, while two different water/cement (w/c) [...] Read more.
The effect of using basalt fibers on the fresh, mechanical, durability, and corrosion properties of reinforced concrete was investigated in this study. The study was performed using different basalt fiber volume fractions of 0.15%, 0.30%, 0.45%, and 0.50%, while two different water/cement (w/c) ratios of 0.35 and 0.40 were utilized. The results were compared to conventional concrete (PC) as well as steel fiber concrete (SFC) with 0.30% and 0.50% steel fibers volume fractions. An extensive experimental program of 336 samples was conducted in four stages as follows: testing for fresh properties included slump and unit weight tests; mechanical properties testing included compressive strength tests, split tensile strength tests, flexural strength tests, and average residual strength tests; durability testing included unrestrained shrinkage and surface resistivity tests; and a Rapid Macrocell corrosion evaluation test for corrosion properties. The test results showed that the use of basalt fibers reduces slump values as the fiber volume fraction increases; however, with the use of the appropriate amount of High Range Water Admixture (HRWA), target slump values can be achieved. Moreover, a considerable improvement in the compressive, tensile, flexural, average residual strength and durability properties was achieved in case of using basalt fibers. On the other hand, corrosion rates increased with the increase in fiber volumes. However, it can be concluded that utilizing a 0.30% fibers volume fraction is the optimum ratio with an overall acceptable performance with respect to mechanical and corrosion properties. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable High Performance Fiber-Reinforced Cementitious Composites (HPFRCCs) and Fiber-Reinforced Polymers (FRPs))
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20 pages, 4653 KiB  
Article
Surface Modification of Commingled Flax/PP and Flax/PLA Fibres by Silane or Atmospheric Argon Plasma Exposure to Improve Fibre–Matrix Adhesion in Composites
by Wiwat Pornwannachai, A. Richard Horrocks and Baljinder K. Kandola
Fibers 2022, 10(1), 2; https://doi.org/10.3390/fib10010002 - 30 Dec 2021
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2874
Abstract
Challenges faced by natural fibre-reinforced composites include poor compatibility between hydrophilic fibres such as flax and hydrophobic polymeric matrices such as polypropylene (PP) or poly(lactic acid) (PLA), and their inherent flammability. The former promotes weak interfacial adhesion between fibre and matrix, which may [...] Read more.
Challenges faced by natural fibre-reinforced composites include poor compatibility between hydrophilic fibres such as flax and hydrophobic polymeric matrices such as polypropylene (PP) or poly(lactic acid) (PLA), and their inherent flammability. The former promotes weak interfacial adhesion between fibre and matrix, which may be further compromised by the addition of a flame retardant. This paper investigates the effect that the added flame retardant (FR), guanylurea methylphosphonate (GUP) and selected surface treatments of commingled flax and either PP or PLA fabrics have on the fibre/matrix interfacial cohesive forces in derived composites. Surface treatments included silanisation and atmospheric plasma flame exposure undertaken both individually and in sequence. 1-, 2- and 8-layered composite laminates were examined for their tensile, peeling and flexural properties, respectively, all of which yield measures of fibre-matrix cohesion. For FR-treated Flax/PP composites, maximum improvement was obtained with the combination of silane (using vinyltriethoxysilane) and plasma (150 W) treatments, with the highest peeling strength and flexural properties. However, for FR-treated Flax/PLA composites, maximum improvement in both properties occurred following 150 W plasma exposure only. The improvements in physical properties were matched by increased fibre-matrix adhesion as shown in SEM images of fractured laminates in which fibre-pullout had been eliminated. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable High Performance Fiber-Reinforced Cementitious Composites (HPFRCCs) and Fiber-Reinforced Polymers (FRPs))
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12 pages, 1247 KiB  
Communication
Modular Paradigm for Composites: Modeling Hydrothermal Degradation of Glass Fibers
by Andrey E. Krauklis
Fibers 2021, 9(12), 83; https://doi.org/10.3390/fib9120083 - 13 Dec 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2469
Abstract
Fiber-reinforced composite materials are often used in structural applications in humid, marine, and offshore environments. Superior mechanical properties are compromised by environmental ageing and hydrolytic degradation. Glass fibers are the most broadly used type of fiber reinforcement to date. However, they are also [...] Read more.
Fiber-reinforced composite materials are often used in structural applications in humid, marine, and offshore environments. Superior mechanical properties are compromised by environmental ageing and hydrolytic degradation. Glass fibers are the most broadly used type of fiber reinforcement to date. However, they are also most severely affected by environmental degradation. The glass fiber degradation rates depend on: (1) glass formulation; (2) environmental factors: pH, T, stress; (3) sizing; (4) matrix polymer; (5) fiber orientation and composite layup. In this short review (communication), seven modules within the Modular Paradigm are reviewed and systematized. These modeling tools, encompassing both trivial and advanced formulas, enable the prediction of the environmental ageing of glass fibers, including the kinetics of mass loss, fiber radius reduction, environmental crack growth and loss of strength. The modeling toolbox is of use for both industry and academia, and the Modular Paradigm could become a valuable tool for such scenarios as lifetime prediction and the accelerated testing of fiber-reinforced composite materials. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable High Performance Fiber-Reinforced Cementitious Composites (HPFRCCs) and Fiber-Reinforced Polymers (FRPs))
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15 pages, 5598 KiB  
Article
Mechanical Performance of Fused Filament Fabricated and 3D-Printed Polycarbonate Polymer and Polycarbonate/Cellulose Nanofiber Nanocomposites
by Nectarios Vidakis, Markos Petousis, Emmanouil Velidakis, Mariza Spiridaki and John D. Kechagias
Fibers 2021, 9(11), 74; https://doi.org/10.3390/fib9110074 - 18 Nov 2021
Cited by 32 | Viewed by 3624
Abstract
In this study, nanocomposites were fabricated with polycarbonate (PC) as the matrix material. Cellulose Nanofiber (CNF) at low filler loadings (0.5 wt.% and 1.0 wt.%) was used as the filler. Samples were produced using melt mixing extrusion with the Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) [...] Read more.
In this study, nanocomposites were fabricated with polycarbonate (PC) as the matrix material. Cellulose Nanofiber (CNF) at low filler loadings (0.5 wt.% and 1.0 wt.%) was used as the filler. Samples were produced using melt mixing extrusion with the Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) process. The optimum 3D-printing parameters were experimentally determined and the required specimens for each tested material were manufactured using FFF 3D printing. Tests conducted for mechanical performance were tensile, flexural, impact, and Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) tests, while images of the side and the fracture area of the specimens were acquired using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), aiming to determine the morphology of the specimens and the fracture mechanism. It was concluded that the filler’s ratio addition of 0.5 wt.% created the optimum performance when compared to pure PC and PC CNF 1.0 wt.% nanocomposite material. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable High Performance Fiber-Reinforced Cementitious Composites (HPFRCCs) and Fiber-Reinforced Polymers (FRPs))
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29 pages, 98946 KiB  
Article
Natural-Fibrous Lime-Based Mortar for the Rapid Retrofitting of Heritage Masonry Buildings
by Marco Vailati, Micaela Mercuri, Michele Angiolilli and Amedeo Gregori
Fibers 2021, 9(11), 68; https://doi.org/10.3390/fib9110068 - 30 Oct 2021
Cited by 23 | Viewed by 3203
Abstract
The present work aims to define the mechanical behavior of a new composite material for the preservation and enhancement of the vast historical and architectural heritage particularly vulnerable to environmental and seismic actions. The new composite represents a novelty in the landscape of [...] Read more.
The present work aims to define the mechanical behavior of a new composite material for the preservation and enhancement of the vast historical and architectural heritage particularly vulnerable to environmental and seismic actions. The new composite represents a novelty in the landscape of the fibrous mortars and consists of natural hydraulic lime (NHL)-based mortar, strengthened by Sisal short fibers randomly oriented in the mortar matrix. The developed mortar ensures the chemical-physical compatibility with the original features of the historical masonry structures (especially in stone and clay) aiming to pursue the effectiveness and durability of the intervention. The use of vegetal fibers (i.e., the Sisal one) is an exciting challenge for the construction industry considering that they require a lower level of industrialization for their processing, and therefore, their costs are considerably lower, as compared to the most common synthetic/metal fibers. Samples of Sisal-composite are tested in three-point bending, aiming to estimate both their bending stress and fracture energy. Tensile and compressive tests were also performed on the composite samples, while water retention and slump test were performed on the fresh mix. At last, the tensile tests on the Sisal strand were performed to evaluate the tensile stress of both strand and wire. An original mechanical interpretation is proposed to explain two interesting phenomena that arose from the analysis of experimental data. The comparison among the performances of unreinforced and reinforced mortar suggests that the use of short fibers is recommendable as coating in the retrofitting interventions alternatively to the long uni or bi-directional fiber strands adopted in the classic fibrous reinforcement (i.e., FRCM). The proposed composite also ensures mix-independent great workability, excellent ductility, and strength, and it can be considered a promising alternative to the classic fiber-reinforcing systems. As final remarks, the use of fiber F1 (length of 24 mm) with respect to fiber F2 (length of 13 mm) is more recommendable in the retrofitting interventions of historical buildings, ensuring higher strength and/or ductility for the composite. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable High Performance Fiber-Reinforced Cementitious Composites (HPFRCCs) and Fiber-Reinforced Polymers (FRPs))
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