The Application of PVA Fiber to Improve the Mechanical Properties of Geopolymer Concrete

This paper presents an experimental investigation on the improvement of geopolymer concrete properties through the use of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fibers mixed in the fresh concrete. For the purpose of obtaining the optimum mechanical properties, the volume fraction of PVA fibers was varied at 0%; 0.3%; 0.5%; ad 0.8%. All mixtures were cast by mixing fly ash, alkali activator, and aggregates. The activator used in this study was a combination of sodium silicate (Na₂SiO₃) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH). The mechanical properties of geopolymer concrete were obtained from the results of compressive strength, splitting strength, uniaxial tensile strength, elastic modulus, and flexural strength. It is found that the variation of 0.8% PVA fibers resulted in the highest strength for overall test. The utilization of 0.8% PVA fibers also contributed to increasing the direct tensile up to 50%. However, it is noticed that the elastic modulus was more prone to decrease as the fiber content in the mixture increased.