Investigating the effect of polypropylene fibre on mortar mechanical properties with the aid of microwave curing

In recent times, there has been increased interest in using various types of fibres in the cement-based materials industry. This work thus aims to investigate the possibility of improving the mechanical properties of mortar samples by using available and cheap polypropylene fibre with the aid of a microwave curing technique. For this purpose, 5×5×5 cm cubes of mortar containing different percentages and lengths of polypropylene fibres were cast and then subjected to various ranges of curing time under microwaves. Compressive strength, direct tensile strength, and density tests were conducted on reference mortar (specimens without fibres) and mortar reinforced with polypropylene fibre specimens at various ages (3, 7, and 28 days) of curing. The results showed a marginal decrease in the compressive strength against an increase in the direct tensile strength as fibre content increased. All mixes showed acceptable values for density against the reference mixes.