FIBRE-REINFORCED POLYSTYRENE CONCRETE. ADVANCED COMPOSITE OF TOMORROW

The main intent of this research was to determine the technical feasibility of utilising polyamide 66 waste fibres obtained from carpet wastes for properties improvement of expanded polystyrene (EPS) concrete. The results of the reinforced and non-reinforced EPS concrete samples are compared with the results observed by other authors. The comparison revealed the superiority of this new composite m improving the compressive and tensile strength. Furthermore, the application of polyamide 66 fibres demonstrates a signification influence in crack reduction. In essence, the initial absorption of polyamide EPS concrete indicates a good concrete quality. This paper shows the contribution of the polyamide 66 fibre wastes to the improvement of drying shrinkage of EPS concrete, as well. The results are indicative of strong potentials for application of waste fibres for the reinforcement of lightweight EPS concrete products. Meanwhile, using carpet waste in EPS concrete would contribute to cleaning the environment. Utilisation of carpet wastes and reducing the landfilling can demonstrate the cost effectiveness of this project. The novel approach could have significant impact on the use of large amount of carpet waste and improve the performance of EPS concrete.