Extended Abstract: Drying Shrinkage, Water Absorption and Electrical Behaviour of Mortar Reinforced with Polymer Fibres

FRP composites have been widely adopted for manufacturing of products by various industries due to their unique features such as the lightweight and high strength performance compared to traditional metallic alloys. This popularity has resulted in a large amount of composite waste to be generated during the manufacturing process as well as at the end of product life cycle. Hence, it is necessary to develop sustainable techniques to recycle FRP composite wastes. The present study experimentally investigates durability and electrical property of recycled fibre reinforced mortar, including water absorption, drying shrinkage and electrical resistivity measurements. Therefore, the viability of incorporating rFRP waste in mortar is assessed and the influence of different dosage of FRP recyclates on mortar performance is discussed in this paper. Overall, the results suggest that incorporating rFRP into mortar not only enhances mechanical strength, but also durability performance. Drying shrinkage of mortars was limited with high-fibre content. Reusing rCF in mortar can also improve the electrical conductivity of cementitious structures. In terms of developing self-sensing properties in concrete structures, this method is a preferable effective maintenance strategy for Structural Health Monitoring (SHM). Therefore, recycling FRP composite waste into mortar is a feasible solution and can be considered as a practical and environmentally friendly approach in the construction field.