Application of Fiber-Reinforced Rubcrete in Fencing Posts

Abstract

Fencing posts are subjected to impact forces from animals like wild boars, wild cattle, and others that try to pass through them. Hence, improving the impact resistance of fencing posts is an issue of priority. Rubcrete is concrete in which crumb rubber replaces a particular volume of mineral aggregates. The impact resistance of concrete has been increased with the use of crumb rubber. Steel fibers and polypropylene fibers help in controlling macro and microcracks in concrete. Impact tests were carried out on concrete prisms with the inclusion of steel fibers at 0.25%, 0.5%, 0.75%, and 1% by total volume of concrete, and the results indicated that steel fiber content of 0.75% has the maximum strength-to-cost ratio among the steel fiber mixes. In the case of polypropylene fiber–reinforced concrete, 0.1%, 0.2%, and 0.3% polypropylene fibers were added to concrete, and it was found that the mix with polypropylene content of 0.2% had the best strength-to-cost ratio. The ratio of optimum energy absorbed to cost was observed for a rubcrete mix with 15% crumb rubber content. Static and impact tests were carried out on ordinary concrete, rubcrete, steel fiber–reinforced concrete, polypropylene fiber–reinforced concrete, steel fiber–reinforced rubcrete, and polypropylene fiber–reinforced rubcrete fencing posts, and it was observed that the steel fiber–reinforced rubcrete fencing posts performed better than the other types of posts studied.