This paper presents the results of research on high performance concretes (HPC) modified by theaddition of polypropylene fibres
(PP fibres). The scope of the research was the measurement of theresidual transport properties of heated and recooled concretes: gas permeability and surface waterabsorption. Seven types of concrete modified with fibrillated PP fibres were tested. Three lengths: 6,12 and 19 mm and three amounts of fibres: 0, 0.9 and 1.8 kg/m3 were used. The research programmewas designed to determine which length of fibres, used in which minimum amount, will, after thefibres melt, permit the development of a connected network and pathway for gases and liquids.

In recent years, carbon fibres have been extensively used to strengthen concrete structures. In most cases, the lamination process is carried out using epoxy resin as matrix. In some cases, especially when strengthen structural elements made of weak concrete, it is possible to replace the epoxy resin with an inorganic, cement matrix, while at the same time maintaining a sufficient efficiency of strengthen understood as the percentage increase in the compressive strength of concrete samples due to the applied reinforcement in relation to the reference concrete. In these studies, elements of carbon fibres mats that are reinforced with a cement matrix were used as the starting product for fibre recovery. The laminate, which was used to reinforce concrete elements, was detached from the concrete surface and subjected to processing in order to obtain clean carbon fibre scraps without cement matrix. Then, the obtained carbon material, in shaped form, was used to strengthen self-compacting, high performance, fibre reinforced concrete (SCHPFRC). For comparative purposes, this concrete was also strengthened by carbon fibre mats (with one and three layers of CFRP). Each samples were tested in uniaxial compression test. The compressive strength of concrete reinforced with 1 and 3 layers of CFRP was higher by 37.9 and 96.3%, respectively, compared to the reference concrete. On the other hand, the compressive strength of concrete reinforced with 1 and 3 layers of carbon fibre scrapswas higher by 11.8 and 40.1%, respectively. Regardless of the reinforcement technique used, the composite elements showed a higher deformability limit in comparison plain concrete. The obtained results showed that it is possible to reuse carbon fibre to strengthen structural elements made of SCHPFRC effectively, using simple processing methods.

Continuous steel-concrete composite girder can fully utilize material strength and possess large spanning ability for bridge constructions. However, the weak cracking resistance at the negative bending moment region of the girder seriously harms its durability and serviceability. This paper investigates practical techniques to improve the cracking performance of continuous steel-concrete composite girders subjected to hogging moment.Areal continuous girderwas selected as the background bridge and introduced for numerical analysis. Modeling results show that under the serviceability limit state, the principle stress of concrete slabs near the middle piers of the bridgewas far beyond the allowable material strength, producing a maximum tensile stress of 10.0 MPa. Approaches for strengthening concrete decks at the negative moment region were developed and the effectiveness of each approach was assessed by examing the tensile stress in the slabs. Results indicate that the temporary counterweight approach decreased the maximum tensile stress in concrete slabs by 22%. Due to concrete shrinkage and creep, more than 65% of the prestressed compressive stresses in concrete slabs were finally dispersed to the steel beams. A thin ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) overlay at the hogging moment region effectively increased the cracking resistance of the slabs, and practical engineering results convicted the applicability of the UHPC technique.

This study provides a comparative analysis of natural nanosilica (NSn), which is an extract of natural silica sand processed into nanosilica with commercial nanosilica (NSc) derived from semiconductor industrial waste, in 80 MPa high performance concrete (HPC). The percentage of using nanosilica is (3%, 5%, 10%, 15%) by weight of cement used directly and combined with 5% silica fume. Analysis was carried out through compressive strength test, durability through permeability test, rapid chloride penetration test (RCPT), and microstructure test through scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results of the analysis show that natural nanosilica is equivalent to commercial nanosilica, in applications it is better to use silica fume incorporation. The optimum percentage of using NSn10% and (SF) 5%, while 5% NSc and 5% SF, in these proportions shows the best compressive strength and durability. It’s just that the use of natural nanosilika is 5% more than commercial nanosilika. The benefit of this research is that natural materials such as silica sand with high SiO2 content, can be processed into nanosilica as an advanced material, which can be used as an eco-friendly construction material.