Investigation of a polymer concrete composite material for runway applications
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The use of fiberglass cloth layers as flexural reinforcement for polymer concrete was investigated. The influences of resin systems, cloth, aggregate, fine fillers, moisture content of aggregate, and specimen depth on the properties of the composite material were studied. The laboratory investigation was oriented towards the composite’s considerable potential for panel applications and possible application as a pavement material. The concept of quickly installed runways made of this polymer concrete composite material is discussed. The composite with two bottom layers of a light-weight glass cloth exhibited twice the flexural strength and three times the elongation limit of polymer concrete alone. A silane coupling agent was shown to improve the retention of strength of polyester concrete made with wet aggregate for moisture contents below three percent. The thickness of the composite, and of the polymer concrete alone, only slightly affected the flexural strength. This lack of sensitivity to specimen depth is important when considering production of panels of varying thicknesses. The ability of the composite to deform considerably, and its higher strength in excess of that for polymer concrete and ordinary concrete was noted as being desirable for constructing thin, durable, fast-setting pavements over weak and non-uniform subgrades.
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Zeilenga, Jay Howard. "Investigation of a polymer concrete composite material for runway applications." (1983) Master’s Thesis, Rice University. https://hdl.handle.net/1911/104561.