The Impact of Natural Fibers on Thermal Resistance and Spalling in High-performance Concrete

This article presents an experimental approach to evaluate the effectiveness of palm fibers as a natural innovative solution to enhance the thermal resistance of high-performance concrete (HPC) under fire conditions. The utilization of palm fibers aims to promote local materials, since locally sourced materials may be more affordable due to their abundance. Four different high-performance concrete formulations were tested. The first, called HPCSF, which is composed of fibreless silica fumes, served as a reference mix. The second, HPCPSF, included the addition of polypropylene fibers to silica fume. The third, HPCDFSF, integrates date palm fibers with silica fume. Finally, the fourth, HPCPQSSF, combined polypropylene fibers with varying amounts of quarry sand and silica sand, in addition to silica fume. The results of the fire resistance tests show that the incorporation of palm fibers into the concrete mixture improves structural strength, reduces spalling, prevents crack formation under high-temperature conditions, and increases fire resistance in HPC.