Pullout behavior of recycled waste fishing net fibers embedded in cement mortar

In this study, recycled waste fishing net (WFN) short fibers were proposed to be used as short fiber reinforcements. The pullout resistance of WFN short fibers embedded in cement mortar was investigated by conducting fiber pullout tests. Three types of WFN short fibers and two types of commercial polypropylene (CP) fibers were investigated. To quantitatively compare the pullout resistance of WFN short fibers and CP fibers, pullout parameters, including peak pullout load (peak bond strength), peak fiber stress, slip at peak load, and pullout energy (equivalent bond strength) of the pullout specimens, were analyzed. In addition, the analysis of fiber images, captured by using a stereoscopic digital microscope, before and after pullout tests, elucidated the different mechanisms of fiber pullout corresponding to the type of fibers. The bundled structures of the WFN fibers generated mechanical interaction between fiber and matrix during fiber pullout; consequently, they produced higher bond resistance and more damage on the surface of fibers after the pullout. Therefore, the bundled WFN fibers showed comparable pullout resistance with CP fibers.