EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION ON HIGH PERFORMANCE FIBRE REINFORCED CONCRETE WITH COPPER SLAG AND SILICA FUME

Abstract

With rapid urbanization and technological advancement, significant modernization has taken place in concrete technology. Researchers have developed various types of advanced concrete by incorporating industrial waste materials to improve sustainability while enhancing the strength and durability of concrete. High Performance Fibre Reinforced Concrete (HPFRC) is one such innovative material that offers superior mechanical and durability characteristics compared to conventional concrete. The present study focuses on the experimental investigation of HPFRC incorporating silica fume and copper slag. Silica fume was used as a partial replacement of cement at proportions of 5%, 7.5%, and 10%, while copper slag was used as a partial replacement of fine aggregate at 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, 35% and 40%. Two types of fibre reinforced concrete mixes were prepared using Glass Fibre Reinforced Concrete (GFRC) and Polypropylene Fibre Reinforced Concrete (PPFRC). The performance of the developed mixes was evaluated through compressive strength and split tensile strength tests. The experimental results indicated a noticeable improvement in strength characteristics with the inclusion of silica fume, copper slag, and fibres. Among all the trial mixes, the optimum performance was achieved at 7.5% silica fume and 35% copper slag in Glass Fibre Reinforced Concrete (GFRC), which exhibited the highest compressive strength and split tensile strength. The findings demonstrate that the combined use of industrial by-products and fibres can produce sustainable, high-strength concrete suitable for modern structural applications.