Use of Recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) Fibers in Concrete Cylindrical Pipes

Fabrication of the reinforcement cages of concrete pipes, using conventional reinforcement bars, require special bending, welding and placement procedures, which are quite timeconsuming. Use of fiber reinforced concrete produced with polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fiber in the manufacturing of concrete pipes would be a sustainable solution since PET fiber is an eco-friendly material. The objective of this study was to investigate the use of PET fibers as a replacement material in the steel reinforcement cages used in manufacturing reinforced concrete cylindrical pipes. It was observed that at a water-cement ratio of 0.3 the optimum compressive strength of 45.8 MPa could be achieved by including 2% of PET fiber in the concrete mixture. Three different types of specimens; plain concrete, reinforced concrete and PET fiber concrete were cast and subjected to the three-edge bearing test. PET fiber reinforced concrete provided the optimum strength required for producing concrete cylindrical pipes. The PET-fiber concrete cylindrical pipe is an economical and sustainable alternative to the classically-reinforced-concrete cylindrical pipe.