PVME as a Sustainable Alternative to Improve Performance of Dense Mortar at Elevated Temperature

The exceptional strength and durability make High strength concrete (HSC) an ideal material for application in shear walls, tall buildings and offshore structures. There have been concerns about using HSC under fire conditions, particularly due to the possibility of explosive spalling. Polypropylene (PP) fibre has shown to mitigate spalling in concrete. Polypropylene is a thermoplastic fiber which is composed of hydrocarbons and is extracted from fossil fuels. The production of PP fibre releases toxic chemicals in the environment and is non-biodegradable, hence sustain in our biosphere for several years and thus contribute towards the ever-increasing air and water pollution. When mixed in concrete, PP fibres negatively impact the workability and can result in non-homogeneous mixes because the fibres agglomerate during compaction. Polyvinyl methyl ether (PVME) is a water-soluble polymer which can be sustainably synthesized from biomass and its addition to HSC can be a creative approach to prevent spalling in fire-related situations. The present work investigates the influence of PVME on its pore creation ability and mechanism in mortars at elevated temperature. PVME demonstrated pore formation capabilities in mortars at high temperature, which was found to be similar to that of PP fibre modified mortars. The volume of interconnected pores increased as a result of PVME addition, which allows gases and moisture to escape and reduce spalling during the event of a fire. The current work proposes a more sustainable alternative to improve the fire performance of HSC.