Enhancement of Mortar Performance by Utilising POFA and GFRP as a Partially Replacement of Sand and Cement

Abstract

Malaysia’s rapid growth has caused many industries to expand rapidly, particularly in the construction industry due to the need for more homes, buildings and infrastructures. Thus, it will lead to high demand in concrete and mortar. Consequently, the use of sand and cement rises because both are the major components in the production of concrete and mortar. High usage of natural materials will threaten and create a worrying situation in which the sand crisis will worsen and carbon dioxide emissions that comes from the production of cement will increase. Hence, the goal of this study is to minimize the use of sand and cement by introducing wastes such as Palm Oil Fuel Ash (POFA) and waste from Glass Fibre Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) as a replacement in mortar. Both types of waste are an unwanted substance that is usually disposed in an open area that led to concerns of environmental problem. The incorporation of POFA and waste from GFRP as a partially sand and cement replacement will contribute to lowering the cost of production through sustainable materials because natural resources can be saved, environmental pollution reduced, and more lightweight production can be produced. This paper presents the effect of POFA and GFRP in mortar as a replacement ranging between 0% and 10% to study the effects towards compressive strength at 3, 7 and 28 days. It was found that POFA and GFRP in mortar as a replacement of sand and cement showed high strength compared to control specimen, respectively. Besides, microstructural analysis will be analysed on the waste materials. Thus, this research will aid in reducing the use of non-renewable resources and can be used as one of the innovations in engineering design.