Effects of Dimensions and Amount of Polymer Fibers on the Strength and Durability of Roller-Compacted Concrete under Freeze-Thaw cycling

In recent years, the use of Roller–Compacted Concrete Pavement (RCCP) has developed in road pavement due to its great advantages. Adding fibers to RCC can improve some properties of the concrete, including flexural strength, fatigue resistance, crack growth rate, and shear transfer along cracks and joints. Many experiments have shown the advantages of using fiber-reinforced concrete in RCC, but more information is needed about their behavior in cold regions, and especially the exposure to Freeze-Thaw cycling. Investigation and comparing the effect of polymer fibers on the strength and durability of Roller-Compacted Concrete under Freeze-Thaw cycling are the main goal of the present article. Therefore, specimens with weight percentage of fiber equal to 1, 2.5, and 4% (by weight of cement) and fibers of to 5, 20 and 40 mm lengths are made. Durability test against a Freeze-Thaw cycling and compressive strength are measured on samples after 7, 28 and 90 days. Analysis of the results shows that the additive fiber increases the compressive strength of the RCC, but decreases its durability against the melting and freezing cycles. Therefore, the use of fibers on RCC in cold regions should be done due accuracy and attention.