Hybrid Fiber Reinforced Concrete Containing Pumice and Metakaolin

Fiber reinforced concrete (FRC) has been widely used due to its advantages over plain concrete such as high energy absorption, post cracking behaviour, flexural and impact strength and arresting shrinkage cracks. But there is a weak zone between fibers and paste in fiber reinforced concretes and this weak zone is full of porosity, especially in hybrid fiber reinforced concretes. So it is necessary to apply a material that reduces porosity and consolidates this transition zone. In this research first, the flexural and impact resistance tests were carried out on hybrid fiber reinforced concretes to choose the optimum percentage of steel and polypropylene fibers based on flexural toughness, modulus of rupture and impact resistance. Finally, compressive strength tests were conducted on selected hybrid fiber reinforced concretes containing pumice and metakaolin to choose the better pozzolan and replacement level based on compressive strength test. Results showed that, metakaolin with 15% substitution for cement had a significant role in increasing compressive strength. However, pumice did not act on the same basis.