IJETST- Volume||01||Issue||08||Pages 1335-1341||October||ISSN 2348-9480 2014

International Journal of Emerging Trends in Science and Technology

Experimental Study on the Hardened Properties of Concrete by Using
Soft Drink Bottle Caps as Partial Replacement for Coarse Aggregates

Authors
Darshan N1, Rajani V Akki 2, Sharath B P3
1
M.Tech in Construction Technology, Department of Civil Engineering, Karavali Institute of
Technology, Mangalore, Karnataka, India
Email: narayana.darshan89@gmail.com
2
M.Tech in Construction Technology, Department of Civil Engineering, Karavali Institute of
Technology, Mangalore, Karnataka, India
Email: rajni.akki@gmail.com
3
B.Tech in Civil Engineering, Department of Civil Engineering, NMAM Institute of Technology,
Udupi, Karnataka, India
Email: sharathbp21@gmail.com
ABSTRACT
Cement concrete is the most extensively used construction material in the world because of its great
workability and can be moulded to any shape. Ordinary cement concrete possesses a very low tensile
strength, limited ductility and little resistance to cracking because of the presence of internal micro
cracks, which leads to failure of the concrete. In this modern age, civil engineering constructions have
their own structural and durability requirements, depending upon its purpose and for this, modification
in traditional cement concrete is must. Addition of different types of fibers to concrete in specific
percentage improves the mechanical properties, durability and serviceability of the structure. It is learnt
that Steel Fiber Reinforced Concrete (SFRC) has its superior resistance to cracking and crack
propagation. Hence an attempt is made to study the influence of cut bottle caps as a steel fiber concrete
as partial replacement for coarse aggregates and studying the parameters like compressive strength,
split-tensile and flexural strength of conventional and steel fiber reinforced concrete Therefore it can be
seen that compressive, split-tensile and flexural strength of fiber reinforced concrete has been increased
as compared to conventional concrete by replacing coarse aggregates with bottle caps.
Key Words: Bottle Caps, Steel fibers, fiber reinforced concrete, compressive, split-tensile and flexural
strength.

1. INTRODUCTION Concrete is weak in tension and has a brittle

Initially, fibers are used to prevent and control character. The concept of using fibers to
plastic and drying shrinkage in the concrete. improve the characteristics of construction
After the research and improvement, it has been materials is very old. Alternatively, introduction
understood that the addition of fiber materials in of fibers in discrete form in plain or reinforced
the concrete can also improve the other concrete concrete may provide a better solution [1]. Fiber
properties such as flexural toughness, flexural reinforcement is now considered as the most
strength fatigue resistance, impact resistance, effective way of improving the resistance of
and post-crack strength. concrete to cracking. During the last two
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IJETST- Volume||01||Issue||08||Pages 1335-1341||October||ISSN 2348-9480 2014
decades, numerous fiber types made from many 2.4 Fiber material:
different materials (steel, polypropylene, nylon, Bottle caps of soft drink bottles were collected
carbon, etc.) have been developed and and cut into small pieces. They are similar to the
successfully used to reinforce concrete. While steel fibres but they don’t have any regular
the primary purpose of fiber reinforcement has shape and size. The dimension varies with
so far been to improve the toughness and energy nature of sources and upon the type of
absorption of concrete, it is becoming apparent industries. Scraps considered in this work are
that the real benefit of fiber reinforcement may 0.5 mm thick, 3 mm approximate width which
in fact be in improving the physical and are added to the concrete as steel fibers as
durability properties of concrete. [2] shown in figure 1.
Experimental studies proved that fibers improve
the mechanical properties of concrete such as
flexural strength, compressive strength, tensile
strength, creep behavior, impact resistance and
toughness [3]

2. MATERIALS
2.1 Cement:
Ordinary Portland cement of Grade 43 [Birla
gold] conforming to IS: 8112-1989 was adopted
in this work [4], The properties of the same are
given in Table 1.

2.2 Coarse aggregates:

The aggregates used in this project are mainly of
basalt rock which comes under normal weight
category. The aggregates are locally available.
50% of the aggregate used are of 10-12mm size
and remaining 50% are of 20mm size. The
impact value and crushing value is 7.49% and
24.40% respectively. Specific gravity is 2.67,
Figure 1: Sources of bottle caps and sample of
and fineness modulus is 7.2 and all are under
fiber
limits and were tested in accordance to Indian
Standard specifications IS: 383-1970 [5].
3. Methodology
2.3 Fine Aggregates:
3.1 Concrete Mix Design
Clean River sand is used as fine aggregate. The
In the present study, M20 grade with nominal
specific gravity and fineness modulus were
mix as per IS 10262-2009 is used as per [6]. The
found to be 2.63 and 2.64 respectively. Sieve
concrete mix proportion (cement: fine
analysis was done to find out fineness modulus
aggregate: coarse aggregate) is 1: 1.5: 3 by
which is obtained as 3.14% which is under
volume and a water cement ratio of 0.5.
limits as per IS 383-1970. The properties are
tested as per [5]

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IJETST- Volume||01||Issue||08||Pages 1335-1341||October||ISSN 2348-9480 2014
3.2 Experimental programs Table 2: Details of specimen
Totally 45 cubes, 45 cylinders and 45 beams
were casted. Metal caps were partially replaced
with coarse aggregates in concrete in 5 different S.No Specimen Name of No. of
percentages starting from 0%, and increasing the Details speciman Specimen
mixing of metal caps up to 4%, at an interval of
Normal
1.0%. For each percent of metal cap fiber
1 Concrete (N N1 3
addition, 3 cubes, 3 cylinders and 3 beams were
casted. Final strength of cubes, cylinders and C) + 0% fiber
beams were tested after 7, 28 and 45 days of
N C + 1% of
curing. Compression testing machine was used 2 N2 3
Fiber
for testing the compressive strength of cubes
[150 X 150 X 150] mm, split tensile strength of N C + 2% of
cylinders [Ø 150 mm, height 300 mm] and 3 N3 3
Fiber
flexural strength test on beams of size [100X
100 X 100 mm] by Universal Testing Machine. N C + 3% of
4 N4 3
Specimen details are given in table 2. [7, 8, 9, Fiber
10]
N C + 4% of
5 N5 3
Fiber
Table 1: Cement test results
Experimental As per IS
S. No Characters
Value 8112:1989 Table 3: Test Results of 7, 28 and 45 - Days
compressive Strength of Concrete
Consistency
1 31.0% -
of Cement
Average strength at 7, 28
Specific % of and 45 days in (N/mm2)
2 3.13 3.15 Name of bottle
Gravity 7-day 28-day 45-day
Specimen caps
Initial used strength strength strength
3 Setting 36min >30min (MPa) (MPa) (MPa)
Time 21.81 2.22 27.54
N1 0
Final 24.52 27.51 30.83
N2 1
4 Setting 472min <600min
Time N3 2 27.74 32.91 33.18

Fineness of N4 3 25.42 31.32 31.57

5 9% 10%
Cement
N5 4 22.54 32.79 31.95

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0% 1% 2% 3% 4%
0% 1% 2% 3% 4% 6
35

Split Tensile Strength (N/mm2)

Compressive Strength (MPa)

30 5
25
4
20

15 3

10
2
5
1
0
7 days 28days 45days
Age 0
7 days 28days 45days
Age
Graph 1: Compressive strength of SFRC at
different addition levels for 7, 28 and 45-days
The Graph 1 indicates that the compressive Graph 2: Split-tensile strength at different
strength of 45-days is more than that of 28-days. additions levels for 7, 28 and 45-days
The optimum strength gained is at 2%
replacement of coarse aggregates by bottle caps The Graph 2 indicates that the compressive
as fibers to concrete and lowest strength at 0% strength of 45-days is more than that of 28-days.
replacement for all 7, 28 and 45 days period of The optimum strength gained after 28 and 45-
curing. days curing period is at 2% addition and the
lowest strength at 0% addition of bottle caps as
Table 4: Split Tensile strength at 7, 28 and 45- fiber to concrete.
days for various additions of bottle caps
% of 45-day
7-day 28-day
Bottle strength
strength strength
Caps (MPa)
(MPa) (MPa)
Used

0% 2.43 2.83 2.90

1% 3.30 3.35 3.35

2% 3.75 4.80 4.91

3% 3.43 4.31 4.29

4% 2.77 3.50 3.56

Figure 2: Typical compressive failure pattern of
concrete Cubes

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IJETST- Volume||01||Issue||08||Pages 1335-1341||October||ISSN 2348-9480 2014
Table 5: Flexural strength at 7, 28 and 45-days optimum strength gained after both 28 and 45-
for various additions of bottle caps days curing period is at 2% addition and the
% of lowest strength at 0% addition of bottle caps as
7-day 28-day fiber to concrete.
Bottle 45-day
strength strength
Caps strength
(MPa) (MPa)
Used (MPa)

0% 2.33 3.42 3.43

1% 2.55 3.91 3.93

2% 3.08 4.52 4.54

3% 2.82 4.24 4.2

4% 2.65 3.85 3.88

5 0
%
4.5

4 1
Flexural Strength (N/mm2)

3.5 %

3 Figure 3: Typical Tensile Failure pattern of

2 concrete Cubes
2.5 %
2

1.5 3
%
1

0.5
4
0 %
7 days 28days 45days
Age

Graph 3: Flexural strength at different additions

levels for 7, 28 and 45-days
Figure 4: Typical Flexure Failure pattern of
The Graph 3 indicates that the flexural strength
concrete Cubes
of 45-days is more than that of 28-days. The

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IJETST- Volume||01||Issue||08||Pages 1335-1341||October||ISSN 2348-9480 2014
5. Results and Discussion concrete is more as compared to its
compressive strength.
 It can be observed from the Graphs 1, 2,  The results indicated that the
4 that, the compression, split tensile and compressive, split-tensile and flexural
flexural strength of concrete can be strength of fiber reinforced concrete has
increased by increasing the percentage of been increased when compared to the
fibres added to it. The above graph conventional concrete at 2% addition of
indicates that the compressive strength of steel fiber reinforced concrete (SFRC).
45-days is more than that of 28-days.
 Since, bottle caps of soft drinks are
The optimum strength gained is at 2%
easily available, they can be easily
replacement of coarse aggregate by
collected and cut into fibers and the
bottle caps as fiber to concrete and
compressive strength can be increased to
lowest strength at 0% replacement for all
it some extent.
7, 28 and 45 days period of curing.
 The Graph 2 indicates that the
References
compressive strength of 45-days is more 1. Ramada, J.P. and Batson, G.B., ‘The
than that of 28-days. fiber Mechanics of Crack Arrest in Concrete’,
 The Graph 3 indicates that the flexural Journal of the Engineering Mechanics
strength of 45-days is more than that of Division, ASCE, 89:147-168 (June,
28-days. The optimum strength gained 1983).
after both 28 and 45-days curing period 2. N. Banthia ‘Durability enhancements in
is at 2% addition and the lowest strength concrete with fiber reinforcement’. The
at 0% addition of bottle caps as fiber to University of British Columbia,
concrete. Vancouver, Canada
3. Mukesh Shukla (2011). ‘Behaviour of
6. Conclusion Reinforced Concrete Beams with Steel
The conclusions that can be drawn from this Fibres under Flexural Loading’. ISSN
research based on the experimental results are as 0974-5904, Volume 04, No 06 SPL,
follows: October 2011, pp 843-846
 Addition of steel fibers increases flexural 4. IS: 8112-1989. Specifications for 43
and compressive strength of concrete to grades Portland cement, Bureau of
larger extent Indian Standards, New Delhi, India.
 In flexure the specimen with soft drink 5. IS: 383-1970. Specifications for coarse
bottle caps as waste material was found and fine aggregates from natural sources
to be good. By the addition of scrap steel for concrete, Bureau of Indian Standards,
fibers, the flexure strength was found to New Delhi, India.
increase to a greater extent than that of 6. IS: 10262-2009.Recommended
the conventional concrete. guidelines for concrete mix design,
 The various percentage of fiber at a Bureau of Indian Standards, New Delhi,
dosage of 1%, 2%, 3% and 4%, the India.
compression, tensile and flexural 7. ASTM D790: Standard Test Methods for
strength has been altered compared to Flexural Properties of unreinforced and
normal concrete. Reinforced Plastic.
 The percentage increase in tensile 8. ASTM C496 / C496M - 11 Standard
strength of steel scrap fiber reinforced Test Method for Splitting Tensile

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IJETST- Volume||01||Issue||08||Pages 1335-1341||October||ISSN 2348-9480 2014
Strength of Cylindrical Concrete
Specimens.
9. ASTM C39 / C39M - 12a Standard Test
Method for Compressive Strength of
Cylindrical Concrete Specimens.
10. ASTM C1609 / C1609M - 12 Standard
Test Method for Flexural Performance of
Fiber-Reinforced Concrete (Using Beam
With Third-Point Loading).
11. IS 456-2000, Indian standard plain and
reinforced concrete-code of practice, 4th
revision, and 1st reprint Sep-2000.
12. R.Saravanakumar, Gabriela Rajan,
N.Ragavan, G.Murali and B.Mohan
“Effect of Soft Bottle Caps Fiber on
Concrete Structures”. International
Journal of Advanced Scientific Research
and Technology Issue 2, Volume 3
(June- 2012)

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