Examining mechanical property differences in concrete with natural and synthetic fiber additives

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Edris, Walid Fouad and Elbialy, Samy and El-Zohairy, Ayman and Soliman, Ashraf Mohamed and Shawky, Shymaa M.M. and Selouma, Tarek Ibrahim and Al Sayed, Abd Al-Kader A. (2024) Examining mechanical property differences in concrete with natural and synthetic fiber additives. Journal of Composites Science, 8 (5). 167. ISSN 2504-477X (https://doi.org/10.3390/jcs8050167)

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Abstract

The rapid growth of Natural Fiber Laminate (NFL) innovation is a direct response to environmental challenges, positioning these materials as superior alternatives to synthetic fiber composites. This paper delved into the outcomes of an extensive experimental study investigating the influence of sisal fiber (SLF), banana fiber (BF), and glass fiber (GF) on the mechanical and microstructural characteristics of concrete. The water absorption curves were established for sisal fiber concrete (SLFC), banana fiber concrete (BFC), and glass fiber concrete (GFC). Furthermore, Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) observations were conducted to perform microanalysis and failure analysis of the tested specimens. The results revealed significant improvements in the concrete containing fibers compared to its counterpart in fiber-free concrete. For mixtures with a water-to-binder (W/B) ratio of 0.3, the most optimal mix (GF-30-135) showed improvements in compressive strength, flexural strength, and splitting tensile strengths by 4.13%, 8.93%, and 10.10%, respectively. On the other hand, for W/B of 0.4, mix GF-30-135 showed improvements of 5.05%, 8.55%, and 11.60%, respectively. Furthermore, as the fiber content increased, microscopic analyses revealed a weakening of the bond between the fibers and the rest of the matrix, contributing to the deterioration of the mechanical properties.

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