Abstract
The improper handling and disposal of waste tyres in many African countries is still a serious problem which has caused environmental and health hazards. Like waste tyres, the proper reuse of agricultural wastes, such as palm kernel shells, is also a challenge as the production has increased over the years. In the field of civil engineering, effort have been made to recycle waste tyres and palm kernel shells in concrete production to mitigate some of the environmental problems arising from these wastes. The recycling of such waste for civil engineering applications has been heightened with the development of new technologies. This study was carried out to evaluate and assess the effects of recycled tyre steel fibres and palm kernel shells on the compressive, splitting tensile and flexural strengths of structural lightweight concrete, using recycled tyre steel fibres for reinforcement and palm kernel shells as partial replacement of coarse aggregates. Recycled tyres steel fibres were added in normal-weight concrete at 0.25, 0.50 and 0.75% (Viz., 6, 12 and 18 kg/m 3 ) content and aspect ratio of 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100% to determine the optimal fibres content and aspect ratio. The results show that recycled tyres steel fibres obtained from pyrolysis can improve the compressive and splitting strengths of normal-weight concrete. The optimal fibres content and aspect ratio were used with palm kernel shells at 25, 50, and 75% content to determine the optimal partial replacement of coarse aggregates with palm kernel shells. The maximum compressive and splitting tensile strengths values were obtained at an aspect ratio of 80, palm kernel shell content of 25% and steel content of 0.50%. Normal-weight concrete strength values in flexure were higher than lightweight concrete made with optimal values. Additionally, beams with 25 and 50% content of palm kernel shells with optimal fibre content and aspect ratios qualified as structural lightweight concrete. Keywords: palm kernel shells, recycled tyres steel fibres, waste tyres, lightweight concrete, normal-weight concrete, compressive strength, splitting tensile strength and flexural strength. DOI : 10.7176/CER/11-6-06 Publication date :July 31 st 2019
Highlights
Construction of roads remains an essential aspect for national, industrial and socio-economic development in many African countries
The result obtained shows that concrete made with optimal aspect ratio of 80, steel fibre content of 0.50% (12 kg/m3), 25 and 50% content of palm kernel shells as partial replacement of coarse aggregates can be qualified as structural lightweight concrete (Li, 2011)
The average flexural strength for beam specimens made with optimal aspect ratio, steel fibre content and palm kernel shell content decreases by 26% as compared to the control specimens
Summary
Construction of roads remains an essential aspect for national, industrial and socio-economic development in many African countries. Improvement in the living standards of people has witnessed them buy vehicles for transporting goods and for services This has resulted in a rapid increased in the number of vehicles over the last few decades and has led to increase in waste tyres in the environment. The increase in population has resulted in high demand for food and this has led to increase in agricultural and construction activities, which enhance national, industrial and socio-economic development. One of the agricultural activities that has thrived in Africa is palm production It was reported by Global Palm Oil Conference (2015), that the world production of palm oil and palm kernel oil has grown rapidly in recent decades (viz., from about 2 million metric tonnes in 1961 to over 56 million tonnes in 2012). The World Bank reported an estimated consumption of palm oil could double by 2020 to about 112 million tonnes (Global Palm Oil Conference, 2015)
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