Concrete Repair, Rehabilitation and Retrofitting II Alexander et al (eds)

2009 Taylor & Francis Group, London, ISBN 978-0-415-46850-3

Effects of fiber and silica fume reinforcement on abrasion resistance

of hydraulic repair concrete
Yu-Wen Liu
Department of Civil and Water Resource Engineering, National ChiaYi University, Taiwan

Chin-Chun Lee
Hoping Construction Office of Taipower Company, Taiwan

K.S. Pann
Department of Civil Engineering, Cheng Shiu University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

ABSTRACT: Concrete of hydraulic structure is easily eroded when hit by waterborne sand flow. This
experiment was an attempt to increase the abrasion resistance of hydraulic repair concrete by adding fibers and
silica fume. Three different types of fibers, containing steel fiber, carbon fiber, and Polypropylene fiber, were
added to repair concrete, also the abrasion resistance was measured with waterborne sand flow testing method
and compared with plane silica fume concrete. Test results show that optimized fibersilica fume combinations
can better improve the abrasion resistance of repair concrete. At the silica fumecement ratio of 20%, the fiber
concrete can remarkably enhance the abrasion and impact resistance. When hit by waterborne sand flow, the
abrasion resistance was better for silica fume concrete combine with carbon fibers, steel fiber and glass fiber
than plain silica fume concrete. In addition, the carbon fiber and glass fiber concrete have rather high impact
resistance than silica fume concrete.

INTRODUCTION

In Taiwan, the most significant erosion problems are

due to the abrasive effect on concrete surface of hydraulic structures. The geographical condition of Taiwan
is somewhat unique. The island is measured approximately 385 km north-south at the longest distance and
143 km east-west at the widest section. Because of the
high ridge peaks, the highest is 888 m and steep valley basins; all rivers are short and steep, causing rapid
flows during stormy days, particularly in a typhoon
season (Soil and Water Conservation Bureau, Council
of Agriculture, Executive Yuan, Taiwan). The recent
survey indicates that there are at least 1385 dams and
69 reservoirs in this island, practically all have had
abrasion erosion problems such as surface peel-offs,
concrete disintegration, and rebar exposures.
The development and use of fibers may considerably increase the toughness, energy absorption
capacity, which reduce cracking and improve the
impact resistance and durability of concrete (Altun
et al 2007, Song et al 2005, Corinaldesi et al 2004 &
Liu et al 2005). However, the application of fibers in

concrete was regarded as very difficult in the past,

due to insufficient workability of fiber-reinforced
mixtures. The development of superplasticizer has
proven to offer significant improvements in application of fibers in concrete. On the other hand, the use
of silica fume as a replacement of ordinary Portland
cement on an equal mass basis improved the compressive strength and decreased rapid chloride permeability of concrete (ACI Committee 226 1987, Cohen
et al 1989). The purpose of this study is therefore aiming at investigating the performances of silica fume
concrete, steel fiber, carbon fiber and glass fiber
reinforced silica fume concrete. The test conducted
included determining the properties of fresh concrete,
compressive strength, impact resistance, and abrasion
resistance.
2
2.1

EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAM
Materials and proportion

The cement used was Portland cement Type I,

and complied with the CNS 61 requirements for

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Portland Cement Type I. River sand was used as the

fine aggregate, with a fine Modulus = 2.98, specific
gravity = 2.66 and absorption = 2.5%. The coarse
aggregate used was a crushed basalt, with a size up to
20 mm, specific gravity = 2.64, absorption = 1.2%,
and dry-rodded unit weight = 1682 kg/m3. The silica
fume with a specific gravity of 2.21 was used in the
amount of 10%20% of total binder weight. Ground
granular blast furnace slag with a specific gravity of
2.89 was used for binder that in the amount of 20%
of total binder weight. The water/binder ratio was
0.36. The superplasticizer, complying with ASTM
C494 type-G range, and a specific gravity = 1.1
was used to improve the workability of the concrete.
The mix proportions of the four types of concrete as
given in Table 1.
Four types of concrete were studied, namely (i) silica fume concrete (SC), (ii) concrete with steel fibers
and silica fume (SFC), (iii) concrete with carbon fibers and silica fum (CFC), and (iv) concrete with glass
fibers and silica fume (GFC). Three types of fiber in
the amount of 1.0 vol. % were used, and their properties are show in Table 2.
2.2

Specimens and test method

Samples of the mixtures were placed in cylinder forms

(10 cm in diameter and 20 cm in height) for compressive strength test and tested in accordance with
ASTM C39, 100 100 383 mm, were produced
for the flexural strength test and tested in accordance
with ASTM C78, 15 30 cm cylinder forms for
impact test and tested in accordance with ACI 544,
and square molds of size 15 15 5 cm for abrasion
resistance test (Yu-Wen Liu et al 2006). After 24 h,

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Table 3 gives the results of the properties of fresh

concrete of four types. It is found that the four types
concrete can obtain well workability with adding
superplasticizer. The slump of silica fume concrete
(SC) is 160 mm and 95 mm at 0 min and 45 mins,
respectively. For CFSC, GFSC and SFSC, the slump
is 170140 mm, 155120 mm and 135125 mm, at 0
and 45 mins, respectively. Moreover, the slump loss
(45 mins.) of three types fiber concrete are small,
except the silica fume concrete (SC).
Figure 1 shows the compressive strength of four
types concrete. For the concrete made with w/cm of
0.28, and addition 1.0vol.% of carbon fiber shows
the compressive strength of 1015% higher than
the three other types of concrete at 7-days. For SC,
CFSC, GFSC and SFSC, at 7 days age, the percentages are 86, 95, 85 and 80, respectively, of 28-days
compressive strength. But the steel fiber reinforced

Table 3. The properties of fresh concrete.

SC

SFSC

CFSC

GFSC

Slump
(mm)

0 min.
45 mins.

160
95

135
125

170
140

155
120

Slump flow
spred
(mm)

0 min.
45 mins.

255
210

225
225

245
235

245
230

Mixture proportions of concrete (kg/m3).

Mix.

Silica Coarse
Water Cement Slag Fume agg.
Sand Fiber SP

SC
CFSC
GFSC
SFSC

140
140
140
140

Table 2.

350
350
350
350

100 50
50 100
50 100
50 100

1060
1032
1034
1034

729
714 18
712 28
712 78

4
7.5
7.5
6.5

Compressive strength (MPa)

Table 1.

the samples were released and placed under water for

curing. After 28 and 56 days, all tests were measured
of the concrete samples.

Properties of fibers.

Properties

Carbon
Steel fibers fibers

Diameter
Length
Tensile strength (MPa)
Specific gravity

0.25 mm
13 mm
2000
7.8

7 m
12 mm
680
1.8

Glass
fibers
16 m
12 mm

2.8

120
110

7 day

28 day

56 day

100
90
80
70
60
50
SC

CFSC

GFSC

SFSC

Figure 1. The compressive strength of four types

concrete.

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Flexure strength (MPa)

20
28 day

16

56 day

12
8
4
0
SC

CFSC

GFSC

SFSC

Figure 2. The flexural strength of four types concrete.

Abrasion loss rate (cm3/hr)

concrete has the highest compressive strength than

the three other types concrete at 28-days and 56-days.
The above-mentioned later age improvement can be
attributed to the enhancement of steel mortar interface related with frictional forces.
The flexural strength of four types concrete as
shown in Figure 2. It can be found that the flexural
strength of GFC is the highest in the four types of
concrete at 28-days and 56-days.
In this study, the main purpose of using fibers is
to improve the abrasion and impact resistance of concrete. Figure 3 represents the abrasion loss rate by
water borne sand flow of each concrete. It can clearly
be found, the fibers addition to silica fume concrete
can improve the abrasion resistance. The feature
points to a significant change in the abrasion behavior
if fiber inclusions are added to the concrete. Because
the fibers increase the bond stress between cement
matrix and aggregate, the cement matrix and aggregate arent be removed easily by abrade. The usage
of carbon, glass and steel fibers decrease the abrasion
loss rate by 14%, 10% and 39% as compared to silica
fume concrete, respectively.
Typical failure modes of four types concrete specimens from the abrasion by waterborne sand flow tests
are shown in Figure 4(a), (b), (c) and (d) respectively.
It is noted that, the surface layer of concrete specimens
had been wear out and the coarse aggregate becomes
exposed. But the surface layer of steel and carbon
fiber concrete appear to be smoother than the silica
fume concrete (SC). On the other hand, from figure 4,
it can be found that the fibers dont be pulled out
from concrete specimens. Then the efficacy of fibers
in concrete as same as the aggregate, as the strength
or hardness of fibers are stronger which result in the
higher abrasion resistance of concrete specimens.
The number of impact at beginning crack and
fracture and the failure modes of four types concrete
specimens, respectively, after impact test as shown in
figure 5 and figure 6. Because the addition of fibers, the specimens of CFSC, GFSC and SFSC have
a rather high impact resistance compared with the
silica fume concrete. It is noted that, under the impact
action, the number of impact at beginning crack is
the same as fracture for silica fume, carbon fiber and
glass fiber concrete specimen. However, the number
of impact at fracture is 210 higher than at beginning
crack for steel fiber concrete specimens. Due to the
dimension of carbon fiber and glass fiber which
are 2.8% and 6.4% of steel fiber, respectively, and the
amount of carbon fibers and glass fibers are rather
more than the steel fibers in unit volume of concrete.
As a result, when the micro-crack just begins, the
carbon and glass fibers can hold up the micro-crack
extending. As the numbers of impact achieve the
fracture energy of concrete specimens, the internal

30
25

28 day

56 day

20
15
10
5
0
SC

CFSC

GFSC

SFSC

Figure 3. The abrasion loss rate of four types concrete.

(a) SFSC

(b) CFSC

(c) GFSC

(d) SC

Figure 4. The surface of concrete after abrasion test

(28 days).

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Beginning crack

Number of impact

600
500

382
400

382

Fracture

408
408
271

300
200
100

64
15 15

0
SIC

CFC

GFC

SFC

Figure 5. The number of impact at beginning crack and

fracture of four types concrete, respectively.

CONCLUSION

As the repair material for hydraulic structures must

have the performance of high abrasion and impact
resistance in Taiwan, then major experimental results
show that the three types fibers concrete can obtain
good workability, and the compressive strength
increases. At the early age, the compressive strength
of carbon fiber concrete is the highest one among
four types concrete, but the steel fiber concretes
compressive strength is the highest at the later age.
In addition, fibersilica fume combinations can better improve the abrasion resistance of repair concrete.
At the silica fumecement ratio of 20%, the fiber
concrete can remarkably enhance the abrasion and
impact resistance. When hit by waterborne sand flow,
the abrasion resistance was better for silica fume concrete combining with carbon fibers, steel fiber and
glass fiber than plain silica fume concrete. Moreover,
the carbon fiber and glass fiber concrete have rather
high impact resistance than silica fume concrete.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

CCSF

The supports from the National Science Council of

Taiwan, R.O.C. under contract NSC 96-2221-E415-004, and the Taipower Company of Taiwan are
acknowledged.

GCSF

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SFSC at beginning crack

SFSC at fracture

SC

Figure 6. The failure modes of four types concrete specimens after impact test.

cracks breaking through the bind of fiber simultaneously result in the cracks which extend quickly and
the fracture. However, the steel fiber concrete doesnt
fracture immediately till the fibers are pulled out.

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