Experimental Study on Fiber Reinforced Concrete with Partical Replacement to Cement by Flyash and Metakaolin

Concrete is largely used due to the abundance of raw material, low manufacturing and maintenance cost, excellence in compression, corrosion aspects, versatility in forming various shapes and its unlimited structural applications in combination with steel reinforcement. However, the cement industry is also highly energy intensive, and the emission of carbon dioxide during cement manufacturing has created enormous environmental concerns. There has also been an increase in the number of incidents where concrete structures experienced severe deterioration in extreme environments. All these factors have contributed pressures to reduce cement consumption and to intensify research in exploring the possibilities of enhancing strength, durability and corrosion reduction through the use of pozzolonas as supplementary cementing materials. Fibre reinforced concrete (FRC) is a fibre reinforcing cementitious concrete composite, and by adding discrete short fibres randomly in concrete it exhibits many substantially improved engineering properties. The main aim of the project is in reducing the cement consumption by adding materials having cementitious properties and determine the mechanical properties of concrete (M30 grade) using different combinations of metakaolin and Fly ash with steel fibres. Metakaolin is a quality enhancing pozzolan for concrete. It is manufactured from kaolin which makes the concrete more durable and ecofriendly. In the present investigation mechanical properties of concrete containing both Fly ash and Metakaolin at various combinations are studied. For the various combinations of Fly ash and Metakaolin, cubes cylindrical and prism specimens are casted with 1% of fibres and the compression strength, split tensile strength and flexural strength test results are obtained and compared with the conventional mix having 1% fibres. It is thereby suggested that utilization of these cementitious materials in concrete will reduce the requirement for cement thereby marching towards green construction.