International Journal of Advanced in Management, Technology and Engineering Sciences ISSN NO : 2249-7455

AN EXPERIMENTAL CASTING OF LIGHT TRANSMITTING CONCRETE

PANEL USING OPTICAL FIBRES TO CHECK STRENGTH CRITERIA
1 2 3
ASHWINI CHAUDHARI , VIKRAM PATEL , GANESH TAPKIRE
1
Civil Engineering Department, R.C.Patel Polytechnic, Shirpur, India
2,3
Civil Engineering Department, R.C.Patel Institute of Technology, Shirpur, India.
1 2 3
aac.ashwini@gmail.com, pvikram.2010@gmail.com, ganesh.tapkire@rediffmail.com

Abstract-
What comes to our mind when we say the word Concrete? The answer is simple- a heavy, cold and greyish material which is used universally
for the construction and development of infrastructures and housing. The 3 basic components which make up the concrete has remained the same over
the ages: Coarse Aggregates- having large sized stones or gravels, Fine aggregates- having smaller sized material like sand and Cement- a greyish finely
powdered material which keeps the components of concrete bonded together in a bulk. But as the time progresses, developments are made in concrete
too, and thus concrete is no longer the heavy, cold and greyish material, it has become more beautiful and lively. By continuous efforts and research, use
of optical fibres has developed a new concrete which is more resistant, lighter, white or colored and allows light to pass through it. Thus the traditional
concrete had changed itself to a new, lively and beautiful concrete.

Keywords Fibres, Concrete, Litracon, Transparent etc.

I. INTRODUCTION

The transparent concrete mainly focuses on transparency and its objective of application pertains to green technology and artistic finish. It is
the combination of optical fibers and fine concrete. At present, green structures focus greatly on saving energy with indoor thermal systems. Therefore
it is imperative to develop a new functional material to satisfy the structure in terms of safety monitoring (such as damage detection,
firewarning),environmental protection and energy saving and artistic modeling. Due to globalization and construction of high-rise building, the space
between buildings is reduced; this causes to increasing the use of non- renewable energy sources, so therefore there is a need of smart construction
technique like green building and indoor thermal system. Translucent concrete (Transparent concrete) is new technique different from normal concrete.
Translucent concrete allow more light and less weight compared to normal concrete. The use of sunlight source of light instead of using electrical energy
is main purpose of translucent concrete, so as to reduce the load on non- renewable sources and result it into the energy saving. Optical fibers is a sensing
or transmission element, so decrease the use of artificial light, the normal concrete is replaced by translucent concrete, which has natural lighting and art
design. We are living in a world where energy expenditure and environmental problems have escalated to global scale. In todays developed world our
built environment takes energy; energy to make the materials that go into the buildings, energy to construct them (Embodied energy) and energy to heat,
cool & light them (Operating energy). Our project of casting translucent concrete aims at reducing this operating energy by exploiting vast amount of
potential energy in the form of sunlight. Another additional feature is its pleasing aesthetics that can change the image of the concrete which is generally
perceived as dull, pale, opaque grey material.

Power Consumption
In total domestic usage of electricity 30% of electricity is used for lightening purpose only, so it is necessary to utilize natural light for illuminating
interior of building following Fig. 1 shows detailed electricity consumption for various daily.

OPTICAL FIBRE-
The idea of using light to send messages has been developed since the eighth century B.C., when the Greeks used fire signals for sending alarms or calls
for help. It was only in the mid-1960s did Charles K. Kao determined that glass had a loss of 20db/km, which spurred researchers into exploring methods
for making glass more pure. This discovery sparked a revolution in the telecommunication industry as a new industry of processing optical fibers
becomes commercially important. These optical fibers have great light transmission capability. The typical fibers today are made out of glass or plastic
since it is possible to make them thin and long. Also both glass and plastic are transparent at particular Wavelengths, which allow the fiber to guide light
efficiently. The fiber is constructed with a core with high index surrounded by a layer of cladding at lower index. The core and cladding can be made out
of both plastic and glass. For plastics, the core can be polystyrene or polymethylmethacrylate and the cladding is generally silicone or Teflon for glasses
both the cladding and the core are made out of Silica with small amounts of dopants such as Boron, Germanium to change its Index. Major differences
exist between the two materials when it comes to making the optical fiber. In plastic core fibers they are more flexible and inexpensive compared to glass
fibers. They are easier to install and can withstand greater stresses and weigh 60% less than glass fiber. But losses, giving them very limited use in
communication applications. Such plastic fibers are practical for short run such as within buildings. Therefore, due to their restrictive nature glass core
fibers are much more widely used because they are capable of transmitting light effectively over large distances.

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International Journal of Advanced in Management, Technology and Engineering Sciences ISSN NO : 2249-7455

Fig. 1: Domestic Electricity Consumption

LIGHT THEORY
When light is directed into an optical fiber the effectiveness of the wire depends on its ability to guide the light ray far distances with little
scattering or absorption of the light as possible. So it means that the optical fiber must exhibit total internal reflection within the wire, thus whewhen
considering the propagation of light for an optical fiber the refractive index of the dielectric medium needs to be accounted
accounted. As light rays become
incident on an interface between two dielectrics with different index of refractions, refraction occurs between the two mediu mediums. This can be best
described by using Snells Law of Refraction which states,
states

This equation shows that at certain angles partial internal reflection will arise, as well at other angles total internal reflection will occur as shown in
following figures.

Fig. 2: Light Ray Diagram

A typical optical fiber with two to total internal reflection as seen in Fig.
F 2, it is reflected at the same angle to the normal, leading dielectri
dielectric mediums is
shown in Fig. 3, with the silica core having the index refraction of N1 and the silica cladding with a lower index of refraction of N2. With this setup it is
possible to send
d packets of information through light rays which can propagate through an optical fiber with very little loss or distortion.

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International Journal of Advanced in Management, Technology and Engineering Sciences ISSN NO : 2249-7455

Fig. 3: Total internal reflection between two dielectric mediums

Optical Fiber Types

There are 3 basic types of optical fibers: multimode graded-index
graded fiber, multimode step-index fiber and single- mode step
step-index fibers. A multimode
fiber can propagate hundreds of light modes at one time while single-
single mode fibers only propagate one mode as shown in Fig.
ig. 4

Fig. 4: Optical Fibres

The difference between graded-index and step-index

index fibers is that in a graded-index
graded index fiber it has a core whose refractive index varies with the distance
from the fiber axis, while the step-index has core with the same refractive index throughout the fiber.

Table no. 1: Properties of Light Transmitting Concrete:

Product Litracon-Light Transmitting Concrete

Ingredients 96% concrete, 4% optical fibre

Density 2100-2400 kg/m2

Block size 600mm*300mm

Thickness 25-500mm

Compressive strength 35-50 N/mm2

Tensile strength 7 N/mm2

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International Journal of Advanced in Management, Technology and Engineering Sciences ISSN NO : 2249-7455

II. RELATED WORK

Prof. PrasadBishetti et al. [1] integrated the merits of concrete and optical fiber, for developing transparent concrete by arranging the high
numerical aperture Plastic Optical Fibers (POF) or big diameter glass optical fiber into concrete. The main purpose is to use sunlight as a light source to
reduce the power consumption of illumination and to use the optical fiber to sense the stress of structures and also use this concrete as an architectural
purpose for good aesthetical view of thebuilding.Prof.Prof. A.A. Momin et al. [2] investigated to produce the concrete specimens by reinforcing glass rods and
optical fibers with different percentage and comparing it with the normal concrete. Different tests were carried out on the cconcrete specimens like
compressive strength test, light transmission test etc.. The compressive strength results obtained for the specimens with optical fibers was almost same as
that of normal concrete specimen.PatilGaurao S., PatilSwapnal V [3] based on the excellent properties of light guiding and elasto elasto-optic effect of optical
fiber, a novel smart transparent concrete is researched by arranging the optical fibers into the concrete. To evaluate the eeffectiveness of the smart
transparent concrete, the light guiding based on white light test, long-term
long durability based on freezing and thawing test and chloride ion penetration test,
and self-sensing property based on stress elasto-opticoptic effect test are made respectively. The experiments results show that the smart transparent concrete
has good transparency, mechanical and self-sensing ng properties.Sathish
properties. Kumar V, Suresh T [4] produced the concrete specimen by reinforcing Optical
fibres with the different percentages and comparing it with the conventional concrete. Different tests were carried out on th the specimen like Compressive
strength
gth test, Split tensile strength, Intensity of light passing through it, etc.The
etc.The compressive strength results obtained for the specimen with the optical
fibre was found to be higher strength as compared to the conventional concrete, which clearly indicates that light transmitting concrete transmits light
without affecting the strength of the concrete.Neha Neha R. Nagdive,
Nagdive Shekar D. Bhole [5] manufactured Translucent concrete with OPTICALFIBRE by
drilling through the cement and mortar in order to utilize the light guiding ability of OPTICAL FIBRE.Experiments to study the mechanical performance
of the concrete infused with OPTICAL FIBRE were carried out .

III. EXPERIMENTAL WORK

MANUFACTURING OF TRANSPARENT CONCRETE CUBE:

Preparation of mould: In the process of making light transmitting concrete, the first step involved is preparation of mould. The mould required for the
prototype can be made with different materials which can be of either tin or wood. In the mould preparation,
preparation, it is important to fix the basic dimensions of
mould. The standard minimum size of the cube according to IS 456- 456 2000 is 15cmx15cmx15cm for concrete. In the mould, markings are made exactly
according to the size of the cube so that the perforated plates
plates can be used. Plates made of sheets which are used in electrical switch boards is used which
will be helpful in making perforations and give a smooth texture to the mould, holes are drilled in to the plates as shown in Fig. 5. The diameter of the
holes and number of holes mainly depends on percentage of fiber used.

Fig. 5: Casting Process of Concrete Cube

CASTING TRANSPARENT CONCRETE PANEL:

Preparation of the Mould:A mould of rectangular cross section of size 150mm*150mm*150mm is made with wood or steel. Make the required size of
rectangular mould from wood or tin. Place the clay or mud in the sides where the optical fibers are exposed to the mould for the easy demoulding after
the concreting.

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International Journal of Advanced in Management, Technology and Engineering Sciences ISSN NO : 2249-7455

Fig. 6: Casting Process of Concrete Panel

IV. EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS

Concrete slump test is carried out from batch to batch to check the uniform quality of concrete during construction.
Slump Cone Test:Concrete
Slump for the given sample= 125 mm

Fig. 7: Slump Cone Test

Compressive Strength Test: Compressive strength test is mechanical test measuring the maximum amount of compressive load a material can bear
before fracturing. The test piece, usually in the form of a cube, prism, or cylinder, is compressed
compressed between the platens of a compression
compression-testing machine
by a gradually applied load.
Compressive Strength of Concrete = 37.55mpa

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International Journal of Advanced in Management, Technology and Engineering Sciences ISSN NO : 2249-7455

Fig. 8: Compressive Strength Test Fig.

F 9: Light passing through the concrete due to optical fibres

CONCLUSION

In this research,, Light Transmitting Concrete is aesthetically pleasing and satisfies strength criteria. The Compressive
Compressive strength of cube is 37
37.55
mpa, so using it can save the Electricity required during day time especially in a crowded area where buildingss are very close to each other. The use of
optical fibres in concrete is green technology resulting in utilising Natural resources and act as fibre reinforcement thereby enhancing the strength and
also enhances appearance.. It is precision material and results are obtained only if correct procedure is followed. The Initial cost is high compared to
normal
ormal concrete but electricity can be saved to large extent form the view point of Future.Also other components of Building like Stairs, Ceiling,
Furniture etc. can be made of Transparent concrete.

REFERENCES

[1] Prof. Prasad. Bishetti, Sanket. D. Ojanahalli, Sohail. M. N, Rajiva. A. B, Shivanagouda.V. H, H EXPERIMENTAL
EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF TRANSLUCENT
CONCRETE ON COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH,International nternational Journal of Technical Research and Applications e-ISSN:
e ISSN: 2320
2320-8163, Volume 4, Issue 4
(July-Aug, 2016), PP. 120-122.
[2] Prof. A.A. Momin, Dr. R.B. Kadiranaikar, Mr.Vakeel. S. Jagirdar1, Mr.ArshadAhemedInamdar,
Mr.ArshadAhemedInamdar Study Study on Light Transmittance of Concrete
Using Optical Fibers and Glass Rods., IOSR Journal of Mechanical and Civil Engineering (IOSR-JMCE)
(IOSR e-ISSN: 2278-1684,
1684, pp-ISSN: 2320-334X PP
67-72.
[3] PatilGaurao S., PatilSwapnalV.,,Light
Light Transmitting Concrete-
Concrete A New Innovation, International Journal of Engineering Research and General
Science Volume 3, Issue 2, Part 2, March-April,
April, 2015, ISSN 2091-2730.
2091
[4] Sathish Kumar V., Suresh T.,STUDY
,STUDY OF BEHAVIOUR OF LIGHT TRANSMITTING CONCRETE USING OPTICAL FIBRE, International
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[5] PatilGaurao S., PatilSwapnalV.,,Light
Light Transmitting Concrete-
Concrete A New Innovation, International Journal of Engineering Research and General
Science Volume 3, Issue 2, Part 2, March-April,
April, 2015, ISSN 2091-2730.
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[6] Neha R. Nagdive, Shekar D. Bhole,, TO EVALUATE PROPERTIES OF TRANSLUCENT CONCRETE / MORTAR & THEIR PANELS,
International Journal of Research in Engineering & Technology (IMPACT: IJRET) ISSN(E): 2321
2321-8843; ISSN(P): 2347-4599,
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[7] A. B. Sawant, R. V. Jugdar, S. G. Sawant, Light
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1, December 2014.

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