A leap towards environmental and economic friendly concrete having locally available lathe waste steel fibers as fiber reinforcement

The material called "steel fibers" can be used as fiber reinforcement in concrete to make it stronger, but these fibers are pricey on the market because they are so rare. Thus, effective utilization of industrial waste (lathe scrap) is critical because it exhibits the same properties as steel fibers and is also cost-effective. Every day, about 20 to 30 kg of lathe waste is produced in local workshops in Mardan, KPK; Pakistan, necessitating proper recycling management. The best option is to use it in concrete in local building construction. The primary goal of this research is to determine the mechanical properties of concrete with "lathe waste" as fiber reinforcement. Concrete cylindrical and beam samples with 0%, 0.50%, 1%, 1.50%, 2%, 2.5%, and 3% addition of lathe waste were cast and compared to control concrete having no addition of lathe waste. The ASTM Standards were followed throughout the research. Compressive and flexural tests were done to check how the concrete would hold up on new levels with waste from a lathe machine blending in. It was found that the new product had a higher mechanical strength than the control concrete specimen. It was discovered that adding up to 2.5 percent lathe waste steel fibers to the concrete provided the best strength. This research contributes to the development of a new environmentally and economically friendly concrete binder made from industrial waste, which saves the environment and natural resources while also improving the mechanical properties of the newly developed lathe waste reinforced concrete.