Laboratory investigation on abrasion resistance and mechanical properties of concretes containing zeolite powder and polyamide tire cord waste as fiber

•Using zeolite in concrete improved compressive strength and abrasion resistance.•Using fibers in concrete improved tensile strength & abrasion resistance.•The Combined use of zeolites and fibers was more effective than their use alone.•Using fibers in concrete increased chloride ion penetration in the RCPT.•Using zeolite was effective in reduction of fibers’ negative impacts in the RCPT. Using wastes as additives to concrete to improve some of its mechanical properties is of particular importance. In this research, by adding different amounts of polyamide tire cord waste as fiber and also zeolite separately or together to concrete, compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, abrasion resistance, and rapid chloride penetration at different ages have been investigated. Adding zeolite alone to the control mixture has increased the compressive strength and abrasion resistance and adding only fibers to that has increased the tensile strength and abrasion resistance. Using fibers has also reduced the chloride ion penetration resistance (CPR) of concrete in the rapid test. The combined use of zeolite and fibers causes the two materials to cover each other's weaknesses and leads to an increase in compressive strength, splitting tensile strength and abrasion resistance compared to the control specimen as well as specimens with only zeolite or fibers. In specimens with fibers, the use of zeolite with an amount of 10% of cement weight (and not less) has reduced the negative effect of fibers presence on concrete CPR so that their chloride ion permeability class has been the same as for the control specimen.