Tailoring the Mechanical Properties of Jute Woven/Cement Composite for Innovation in the Architectural Constructions

Abstract

In this paper, the experimental work provided the testing of Jute-cement composites containing several modified Jute fabrics that were prepared to be used in the intensification of the cracking strength and toughness of cracked concrete, fiber/cement sheets or architectural constructions through the improvement of the mechanical properties of the fiber-cement preform. As the chemical modification, the Jute fabrics were treated with sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution in the relaxed form at the ambient temperature maintaining the fabric to liquor ratio 1:30. The fabrics were kept in the various sodium hydroxide concentration solutions (8%, 16%, and 22%) for 1, 30 or 60 min. The treatment of the Jute fabrics resulted in an increase in the weft and warp crimp, the work of rupture, fabric strength, and breaking elongation. The pronounced effect of fabric treatment is the work of rupture and fabric elongation that increased by 7.89 and 14 times, respectively, thus increasing the toughness of the fabric, while Young’s modulus was reduced by 10 times, keeping the tenacity almost constant. This technique will prevent delamination phenomena of the Jute fabric preforms and improve the bending stress of the Jute/cement composite.

Keywords

• bending stiffness
• jute fiber
• alkali-treatments
• fabric/cement composite