This study was conducted to examine the impact of plastic fibers (WPFs) in an effort to improve some of the features of self-compacting concrete (SCC) using Iraqi raw materials. Waste polyethylene terephthalate fibers (waste PET fibers) from used beverage bottles were added. Some tests were carried out to determine the effects of adding WPFs on the fresh properties of new concrete, while additional tests examined the mechanical properties of hardened concrete. Because of this, self-compacting concrete blends were created with a constant water-to-binder ratio of 0.32 and a binder content of 525 kg/m3. The designated plastic fiber percentages contents were 0%, 0.5%, 0.75%, and 1% of mix volume. Self-compacting concrete mixtures' fresh characteristics were assessed for slump flow diameter, T50 slump flow concurrently, V-funnel flow concurrently, and L-box height ratio. The 28-day density, compressive strengths and flexural strength of self-compacting concretes were also measured. The use of plastic waste fibers had a slight effect on reducing the density of the produced concrete and a negative effect on the fresh properties. The compressive strengths were improved by using WPFs, with the maximum improvement equal to (11.065%) when compared to those made from the reference mix
Ferrocement is a type of concrete made of mortar with different wire meshes. It has wide and varied applications in addition to its strength and durability. This research aims to combine ferrocement and sustainability, as over time, the consumption of plastics, especially plastic bottles, has increased and has serious negative effects if buried, burned, or chemically analyzed. Therefore, this research aims to benefit from this plastic waste and introduce it into the construction field by using plastic waste fibers in the concrete mixture instead of cement at a rate of 0.5% and 1% by volume. This research studied the mechanical properties of nine samples of ferrocement beams with dimensions of 1200 × 200 × 150 mm3. A longitudinal hole with a diameter of 50 mm was drilled in different places of the beams and filled with lightweight concrete to facilitate the use of the hole in service passes when drilled, with a study of the initial cracking loads and the resulting deflection in addition to the failure modes and the deflection resulting from the maximum load. The results showed an improvement in load resistance with an improvement in deflection at the maximum load, In addition to an increase in the improvement of Toughness and Stiffness of ferrocement beams.