Normal-Weight Concrete with Improved Stress–Strain Characteristics Reinforced with Dispersed Coconut Fibers

Abstract

According to the sustainable development concept, it is necessary to solve the issue of replacing fiber from synthetic materials with natural, environmentally friendly, and cheap-to-manufacture renewable resources and agricultural waste. Concrete is the primary material for which fibers are intended. Therefore, the use of vegetable waste in concrete is an essential and urgent task. Coconut fiber has attracted attention in this matter, which is a by-product of the processing of coconuts and makes it relevant. This work aims to investigate the experimental base for the strength properties of dispersed fiber-reinforced concrete with coconut fibers, as well as the influence of the fiber percentage on the mechanical, physical, and deformation characteristics. The samples were made of concrete with a compressive strength at 28 days from 40 to 50 MPa. The main mechanical characteristics such as strength in compression (cubic and prismatic) and tension (axial and bending), as well as the material’s compressive and tensile strains, were investigated. The percentage of reinforcement with coconut fibers was taken in the range of 0% to 2.5% with an increment of 0.25 wt.%. Tests were carried out 28 days after the manufacture. The microstructure of the resulting compositions was investigating using the electron microscopy method. The most rational percentage of coconut fibers was obtained at 1.75%. The increase in mechanical indicators was 24% and 26% for compression and axial compression, respectively, and 42% and 43% for tensile bending and axial tension, respectively. The ultimate strains in compression were raised by 46% and in tension by 51%. The elastic modulus was increased by 16%.

Keywords

• concrete
• fiber-reinforced concrete
• sustainable concrete
• natural fibers
• coconut fiber