Agro-waste fiber reinforced mortar for augmenting the performance of masonry structures

Abstract

The cumbersome nature of unreinforced masonry structures and the minimal tensile strength of the constituent materials make the masonry structure very brittle. As a result, unreinforced masonry structures perform inadequately when subjected to seismic loading. For this reason, the unreinforced masonry structures need to be strengthened so that they can withstand seismic forces. Hence, this study was completed to investigate the effect of coconut fiber on the bond behavior, strength, and ductility properties of masonry wallets. Coconut (coir) fiber was chosen because it has a good tensile strength and it is able to control cracks in the mortar. In the current study, mechanical properties of reinforcing materials were found. Microstructure studies using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) on the control and reinforced mortar were also completed. A total of 116 groups of samples were prepared and tested to evaluate the compressive strength, shear bond strength, tension bond strength, and shear and flexural strengths of masonry. The length of coconut fiber was 15 mm, and three different percentages of fiber content (0.1 %, 0.2 %, and 0.3 % by weight) were considered to determine the optimum percentage or dose of coconut fiber. The test results showed that the incorporation of coconut fiber in the mortar caused a slight decrease in the compressive strength of mortar mix. However, the compressive strength, shear bond strength, tension bond strength, shear capacity, flexural strength, and ductility of masonry increased significantly. The enhanced performance of coir fiber reinforced masonry explores the suitability for the use of coir fiber reinforced mortar in masonry for improved behavior.