Enhancing Concrete Performance and Promoting Sustainability: A Review of Natural and Synthetic Fibres for Better Workability and Mechanical Properties

Authors

  • Dr. Kavita Verma Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Dr. Akhilesh Das Gupta Institute of Professional Studies, New Delhi, India Author
  • Natasha Baruah Student, Department of Civil Engineering, Dr. Akhilesh Das Gupta Institute of Professional Studies, New Delhi, India Author
  • Manish Kumar Pathak Student, Department of Civil Engineering, Dr. Akhilesh Das Gupta Institute of Professional Studies, New Delhi, India Author
  • Rohit Kumar Mahto Student, Department of Civil Engineering, Dr. Akhilesh Das Gupta Institute of Professional Studies, New Delhi, India Author
  • Diamond Longjam Student, Department of Civil Engineering, Dr. Akhilesh Das Gupta Institute of Professional Studies, New Delhi, India Author
  • Abhay Verma Student, Department of Civil Engineering, Dr. Akhilesh Das Gupta Institute of Professional Studies, New Delhi, India Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32628/IJSRSET25122163

Keywords:

Fibre, Fibre-reinforced concrete, Mechanical properties, Workability

Abstract

Concrete is one of the most widely used building materials in the world because of its strength, durability and fire resistance. Due to rapid growth in infrastructure and residential projects, the use of concrete has increased a lot, due to which cement production has also risen significantly, and is now one of the major contributors to global carbon emission. Also, concrete has some undesirable properties as well, such as low tensile strength, brittleness, low impact resistance and cracking tendency. One of the ways through which these issues can be effectively dealt with is by using fibres in concrete to make Fibre Reinforced Concrete (FRC). The use of natural as well as synthetic fibres has got attention in recent years due to its potential to enhance the workability, durability and mechanical properties of concrete, and to reduce carbon emissions produced during cement production. This review paper aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the different types of natural and synthetic fibres which have been studied and utilised by researchers over the years, and their impact on the properties of concrete, mainly focusing on the workability, durability and mechanical properties of concrete. An in-depth analysis of research papers from the past decade was conducted, focusing primarily on how different fibres impact the workability, durability and mechanical properties of concrete. The review paper concludes, after careful study of the advantages and disadvantages offered by the use of different fibres, that steel fibre is the most favourable fibre to be used for enhancing the performance of concrete, particularly for strength enhancement of concrete.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Afroughsabet, V., Geng, G., Lin, A., Biolzi, L., Ostertag, C. P., & Monteiro, P. J. M. (2019). The influence of expansive cement on the mechanical, physical, and microstructural properties of hybrid-fiber-reinforced concrete. Cement and Concrete Composites, 96, 21–32. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.CEMCONCOMP.2018.11.012

Ahmad, J., Arbili, M. M., Alqurashi, M., Althoey, F., & Deifalla, A. F. (2023). Concrete Made with Partial Substitutions of Wheat Straw Ash: A Review. In International Journal of Concrete Structures and Materials (Vol. 17, Issue 1). Springer Nature Korea. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40069-023-00616-1

Ahmad, J., Zhou, Z., & Deifalla, A. F. (2023). Steel Fiber Reinforced Self-Compacting Concrete: A Comprehensive Review. International Journal of Concrete Structures and Materials, 17(1), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1186/S40069-023-00602-7/FIGURES/21

Anas, M., Khan, M., Bilal, H., Jadoon, S., & Khan, M. N. (2022). Fiber Reinforced Concrete: A Review †. Engineering Proceedings, 22(1). https://doi.org/10.3390/engproc2022022003

Andrew, R. M. (2019). Global CO<sub>2</sub> emissions from cement production, 1928–2018. https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2019-152

Asheghi Mehmandari, T., Shokouhian, M., Zakeri Josheghan, M., Mirjafari, S. A., Fahimifar, A., Jahed Armaghani, D., & Tee, K. F. (2024). Flexural properties of fiber-reinforced concrete using hybrid recycled steel fibers and manufactured steel fibers. Journal of Building Engineering, 98, 111069. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JOBE.2024.111069

Ashokan, A., Rajendran, S., & Dhairiyasamy, R. (2023). A comprehensive study on enhancing of the mechanical properties of steel fiber-reinforced concrete through nano-silica integration. Scientific Reports 2023 13:1, 13(1), 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-47475-0

Bheel, N., Kumar, S., Kirgiz, M. S., Ali, M., Almujibah, H. R., Ahmad, M., & Gonzalez-Lezcano, R. A. (2024). Effect of wheat straw ash as cementitious material on the mechanical characteristics and embodied carbon of concrete reinforced with coir fiber. Heliyon, 10(2), e24313. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.HELIYON.2024.E24313

Chen, T., Wang, Z., Wang, A., Bai, E., & Zhu, X. (2023). Comparative study on the static and dynamic mechanical properties and micro-mechanism of carbon fiber and carbon nanofiber reinforced concrete. Case Studies in Construction Materials, 18. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cscm.2023.e01827

Chin, S. C., Shaaban, I. G., Rizzuto, J. P., Khan, S. U., Mohamed, D., Roslan, N. I. M., & Aziz, A. A. (2024). Predictive models for mechanical properties of hybrid fibres reinforced concrete containing bamboo and basalt fibres. Structures, 61, 106093. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.ISTRUC.2024.106093

Dinesh, A., Jayashree, J., Abhishek, S., & Prakash, A. (2023). Multifunctional properties of carbon fiber integrated cement composite – A review and insights. Materials Today: Proceedings. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2023.05.559

Elbashiry, E. M. A., & Osman, B. H. (2023). Mechanical properties of straw basalt fiber reinforced concrete composites. Low-Carbon Materials and Green Construction 2023 1:1, 1(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1007/S44242-023-00028-0

Elshinawy, A., Yousry Elshikh, M. M., Kaloop, M. R., El-Demerdash, W. E., & Elemam, W. E. (2025). An experimental investigation on mechanical characteristics of steel-fiber-reinforced volcanic concrete. Next Materials, 6, 100308. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.NXMATE.2024.100308

Grzymski, F., Musiał, M., & Trapko, T. (2019). Mechanical properties of fibre reinforced concrete with recycled fibres. Construction and Building Materials, 198, 323–331. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.CONBUILDMAT.2018.11.183

Heidari, A., & Naderi Shourabi, F. (2023). Mechanical properties of ultra-high performance concrete based on reactive powder concrete: Effect of sand-to-cement ratio, adding glass fiber and calcium carbonate. Construction and Building Materials, 368. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2022.130108

Huo, X., Wang, P., Wang, S., Guo, R., & Wang, Y. (2024). Experimental study on the mechanical properties and impermeability of basalt-PVA hybrid fibre reinforced concrete. Case Studies in Construction Materials, 21, e03646. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.CSCM.2024.E03646

Lei, Z., Li, Q., Zhou, Y., & Yin, B. (2024). Mechanical performance and reinforcing mechanisms of foamed concrete strengthened by carbon fibers. Journal of Building Engineering, 97, 110765. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JOBE.2024.110765

Manso-Morato, J., Hurtado-Alonso, N., Revilla-Cuesta, V., Skaf, M., & Ortega-López, V. (2024). Fiber-Reinforced concrete and its life cycle assessment: A systematic review. Journal of Building Engineering, 94, 110062. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JOBE.2024.110062

Mohammadi, Y., Singh, S. P., & Kaushik, S. K. (2008). Properties of steel fibrous concrete containing mixed fibres in fresh and hardened state. Construction and Building Materials, 22(5), 956–965. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.CONBUILDMAT.2006.12.004

Mohtasham Moein, M., Saradar, A., Rahmati, K., Ghasemzadeh Mousavinejad, S. H., Bristow, J., Aramali, V., & Karakouzian, M. (2023). Predictive models for concrete properties using machine learning and deep learning approaches: A review. Journal of Building Engineering, 63, 105444. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JOBE.2022.105444

Peng, M., Gao, Y., Wei, J., Han, Y., Chen, X., & Kou, X. (2024). Experimental study on mechanical properties and toughness of recycled steel fiber rubber concrete. Case Studies in Construction Materials, 21, e03858. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cscm.2024.e03858

Pham, T. M., Fung, K. F., Kyaw, R., Bi, K., & Tran, T. M. (2024). Influence of preloading on dynamic compressive behaviour and properties of fibre reinforced concrete. Structures, 69. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.istruc.2024.107416

Shoaib, S., El-Hassan, H., & El-Maaddawy, T. (2023). Performance evaluation and development of tensile softening law for concrete reinforced with different sizes and combinations of basalt fibers. Journal of Materials Research and Technology, 24, 8171–8183. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JMRT.2023.05.095

Su, N., Guo, S., Shi, C., & Zhu, D. (2024). Predictions of mechanical properties of Fiber Reinforced Concrete using ensemble learning models. Journal of Building Engineering, 98, 110990. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JOBE.2024.110990

Wu, C. (2024). Research on flexural mechanical properties and mechanism of green ecological coir fiber foamed concrete (CFFC). Scientific Reports, 14(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1038/S41598-024-67137-Z/FIGURES/15

Xu, Y., Yao, L., & Yu, X. (2024). Effect of polypropylene fibers on mechanical and wetting properties of overall superhydrophobic foamed concrete. Construction and Building Materials, 448, 138207. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.CONBUILDMAT.2024.138207

Zhang, X., Lou, C., & Lyu, X. (2024). Experimental study on direct tensile fatigue performance of basalt fiber reinforced concrete. Scientific Reports 2024 14:1, 14(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-51403-1

Zhang, X., Zhu, Y., Shen, Y., Wang, J., Fan, Y., Gao, X., & Huang, Y. (2024). Compressive mechanical performance and microscopic mechanism of basalt fiber-reinforced recycled aggregate concrete after elevated temperature exposure. Journal of Building Engineering, 96, 110647. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JOBE.2024.110647

Downloads

Published

28-03-2025

Issue

Section

Research Articles

How to Cite

[1]
Dr. Kavita Verma, Natasha Baruah, Manish Kumar Pathak, Rohit Kumar Mahto, Diamond Longjam, and Abhay Verma, “Enhancing Concrete Performance and Promoting Sustainability: A Review of Natural and Synthetic Fibres for Better Workability and Mechanical Properties”, Int J Sci Res Sci Eng Technol, vol. 12, no. 2, pp. 500–513, Mar. 2025, doi: 10.32628/IJSRSET25122163.

Similar Articles

1-10 of 48

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.