Abstract
Basalt fiber is cheap and has excellent mechanical performance. In addition, in combination with the environmentally friendly coconut fiber, it can contribute to sustainable construction materials. In this study, a composite material consists of basalt fiber-reinforced polymer (BFRP) tube-encased coconut fiber-reinforced concrete (CFRC) is developed. The 28-day compression strength of the plain concrete is about 15 MPa, which represents the low strength and poor-quality concrete widely existing in a large number of old buildings. The concrete was poured and cured into the steel moulds, BFRP tubes with the inner diameter of 100 mm and a height of 200 mm, and BFRP tubes with the inner diameter of 160 mm and a height of 320 mm, respectively. In total, 36 cylindrical specimens were constructed and tested. The axial compression tests were carried out to examine the strength and ductility enhancement due to the confinement of the BFRP tubes and coconut fibers. Also, the existing models were used to predict the ultimate axial compression strength and strain. The results show that the size of the specimen significantly influences the predicted compression strength.
Highlights
Over the last decades, engineers are more aware of the environment and the limited resource, which has promoted the usage of natural fibers in polymer reinforcement
Islam et al [4] found that the addition of 0.5% coconut fibers by volume enhanced the flexural strength of normal concrete and high-strength concrete composite by 60% and 6%, respectively. eir research indicated that the ductility and toughness of both normal- and high-strength concrete increased with a larger volume fraction content of coconut fibers
When the stress approaches the peak strength of the plain concrete (PC) and coconut fiber-reinforced concrete (CFRC), the curves enter the nonlinear transition region. e microcracks begin to propagate in concrete. e lateral expansion gradually increases, and the PC and CFRC specimens are suddenly crushed and lost the axial load-bearing capacity at last
Summary
Engineers are more aware of the environment and the limited resource, which has promoted the usage of natural fibers in polymer reinforcement. A huge number of natural fibers like sisal, kenaf, hem, flax, coconut, bamboo, and banana have been studied. Among these natural fibers, coconut fibers have gained popularity because of the cost-effective and high mechanical properties compared with other fibers, for example, bamboo or flax fibers [1]. Baruah and Talukdar [3] reported that the compressive, tensile, and shear strengths of coconut fiber-reinforced concrete (CFRC) increased about 13.7%, 22.9%, and 32.7% compared with those of plain concrete (PC), respectively. Eir research indicated that the ductility and toughness of both normal- and high-strength concrete increased with a larger volume fraction content of coconut fibers. Ali et al [6] examined the effects of coconut fiber lengths and fiber contents on the mechanical properties of concrete
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