Effect of Natural Raw Fibers on Mechanical Properties of Fiber Reinforced Concrete: A Step Towards Sustainability

Abstract Concrete is the mostly used constructional material in industry and have versatile quality in nature. Fibrous concrete has significant factor that improve the scale and value to concrete for humid environments. Day by day abundant demand and use of concrete is increasing in construction industry. It is considered as a 2nd largest building material due to the major productivity. By the use of fibrous concrete, some bonding issues have been addressed and mitigate the environmental problems. Keeping in this view, an experimental based study is conducted to evaluate the strength of fiber reinforced concrete at different percentages 0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5% and 2.0%. All percentages are added by the weight of concrete with all fibers. In this connection, forty-five cylinders of five mixes are prepared. Workability checked of fresh concrete during the pouring of concrete cylinders. Poured cylinders’ samples are left for different curing ages at 7 and 28 days. Thirty cylinders for compression at 7 and 28days but fifteen cylinders for split tensile test at 28days with all fibers i.e. glass fiber, steel fiber, coconut fiber and polypropylene fiber. After curing, compression and split tensile tests are performed to check the strength of hardened concrete. Workability of five mixes lies between 40-90mm and compression strength is increased at 1% replacement with all fibers which is suitable for sustainable construction. Also, fibrous concrete is suitable for humid environment where high strength and voids less concrete are required like plaster in external walls and all structural components. Addition of fibers in concrete may improves the strength parameters as well as to increase the bonding and tensile properties of concrete. It reduces the quantity of water to be used in concrete. Also, the use of different types of fibers has been proved to be economical and is considered as environmentally friendly construction material.