Influence of natural fiber in the mechanical and durability behaviour of hybrid fiber-reinforced concrete

ABSTRACT

Cracks developed due to drying and shrinkage in plain cement concrete can be overcome by introducing discreet and randomly oriented fibrous material as a reinforcing agent. Researchers focused only on synthetic fiber-reinforced concrete (FRC) most of the time while neglecting natural FRC. Previously, researchers focused on double hybrid FRC, whereas triple hybrid FRC required a further behavioral study on FRC’s mechanical characteristics. The primary objective of this study is to enhance mechanical properties of matrix due to the effect of short fiber in randomly oriented without changing their individual identity. Here, sisal fiber (SF), banana fiber (BF), and human hair fiber (HH) are used as reinforcing agents with varying volume fractions ($v_f)$ from 0.5% to 2% and a hybrid of 1% $v_f$ with concrete matrix. This investigation found that BF 0.5%$v_f$, SF 1.5%$v_f$, HH 1%$v_f$, and H6 (SF0.25BF0.5HH0.25) % $v_f$ showed the optimum volume fraction, which improved mechanical properties and resisted sulfate and alkaline attack on the concrete matrix. Product from individual and combined natural FRC could be a sustainable building material that is economical, eco-friendly, and durable.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

摘要

在素水泥混凝土中, 由于干燥和收缩而产生的裂缝可以通过引入离散且随机取向的纤维材料作为增强剂来克服. 研究人员大部分时间只关注合成纤维增强混凝土, 而忽略了天然纤维增强混凝土. 此前, 研究人员主要关注双混杂纤维增强混凝土, 而三混杂纤维增强混凝土需要对纤维增强混凝土的力学特性进行进一步的行为研究. 本研究的主要目的是在不改变其个体特征的情况下, 通过随机取向的短纤维增强基体的力学性能. 在这里, 剑麻纤维 (SF), 香蕉纤维 (BF) 和人发纤维 (HH) 被用作增强剂, 其体积分数 (v_f) 从0.5%到2%不等, 并且是1%v_f与混凝土基质的混合物。本次调查发现, BF 0.5%v_f, SF1. 5%v_f, HH1%v_f和H6 (SF0.25BF0.5HH0.25) %v_f的体积分数显示出最佳的体积分数, 这提高了机械性能, 并抵抗了混凝土基体的硫酸盐和碱侵蚀. 天然纤维增强混凝土是一种经济, 环保, 耐用的可持续建筑材料.

KEYWORDS:

• Composite
• natural fiber
• fiber-reinforced concrete
• durability performance
• mechanical property (insert graphical abstract)

关键词:

• 复合材料
• 天然纤维
• 纤维增强混凝土
• 耐久性能
• 机械性能

Acknowledgments

Author(s) acknowledge “Emami Cement Pvt. Ltd” Ranchi unit for supplying cement, “State Forest Silviculture Centre, Forest Department, Government of Jharkhand” and “Savitri Banana Fiber Industries, Purnia, Bihar,” for supplying good quality natural sisal and banana fiber, respectively. The authors also acknowledge “Man’s haircutting center Hostel-6 BIT Mesra” for supplying waste human hair for this investigation. “Advanced Computing Lab, Centurion University of Technology and Management, Bhubaneswar,” and “Central Instrumentation Facility, Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra,” for conducting various analyses of the samples. Last but not least, Dept. staff helped us during the progression of the research work.

Availability of data and material

Author(s) agreed to transfer the investigation data on request for the extension of research work.

Code availability

NA

Declarations

Author(s) declared that this is the original research work after finding the research gap from the literature review and experimental investigation work conducted in Concrete Laboratory, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra, to study the durability aspect by adding natural fiber in the concrete matrix without any financial support. They have also acknowledged that each agency supplies suitable quality materials and conducts various analyses in central instrumentation facility, Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Ethics approval

Human hair is a dead tissue of the human body and environmental solid waste material. By treating the waste hair collected from local saloons or parlors and utilizing as a reinforcing agent do not come under the ethical guidance of ICMR. Therefore, the approval process from the Institutional ethical committee is not required.

Highlight of the work

• Pre-processed natural fiber by the innovative methodology for making special concrete.

• Enhancement of mechanical properties of conventional concrete by using textile fiber and waste human hair.

• Finding out the effect of natural FRC due to adverse environmental conditions.

• Production of green and sustainable building material.

Additional information

Funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.