Parawood particle cement composite boards under accelerated wet/dry cycling and natural aging

Abstract

The aim of this study is to investigate the potential use of Parawood particle waste (PWP) and cement to produce PWP cement composites for use as construction and decorative boards. Strength effects of the PWP–cement composites prepared, with respect to PWP/cement ratio and the type and amount of admixtures, were studied and discussed. Mixture M0-35-1 emerged as a suitable compromise between good practical strength and desirable high usage of PWP. For durability study, wet/dry accelerated, and natural aging, were imposed on the board prior to flexural testing. Mechanical properties were evaluated in terms of the equivalent modulus of rupture, equivalent modulus of elasticity, and toughness index. Significant deterioration of properties was found after 100 cycles of accelerated wet–dry aging, equivalent to 609 days under natural exposure. Poor durability infers that the created board needs to be further engineered to withstand rigorous outdoor applications.

Keywords:

• Parawood
• cement
• composite
• particle
• board
• waste
• durability

Acknowledgments

This study was partially supported by Structural Engineering and Applied Mechanics (STREAM) Research Group under Grant ENG-51-2-7-11-022-S, Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla, Thailand. Special thanks goes to a senior lecturer Mr Wiwat Sutiwipakorn for reviewing and correcting the English of this paper. In addition, the authors would also like to thank anonymous reviewers for their valuable and constructive comments.