Contribution of acrylic fibre addition and ground granulated blast furnace slag on the properties of lightweight concrete

•Drying shrinkage reduced in the presence of acrylic fibres.•Enhancement in tensile strength with the addition of 0.1% acrylic fibres.•OPSC with 20% GGBS had superior mechanical properties compared to those with 70% GGBS.•Lower strength loss upon heat exposure with the use of acrylic fibres and more GGBS.

The experimental investigation concerning the mechanical performance, drying shrinkage and residual strength upon heat exposure of acrylic fibre reinforced lightweight oil palm shell concrete (OPSC) containing ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) is reported. The addition of 0.1% acrylic fibres in OPSC containing 20% GGBS was found to be the most effective in enhancing the tensile strength. The addition of acrylic fibres in OPSC was also found to reduce the 60-day drying shrinkage strains by up to 10% and improve the relative residual strength by up to 23%. Generally, the OPSC containing 20% GGBS had superior performance among the investigated hardened OPSC properties, except for the residual strength upon heat exposure, in which mixes with 70% GGBS achieved lower strength loss.