Abstract
Recently, numerous plant fibers have been investigated as a means to reinforce concrete and replace synthetic fibers, thereby producing more eco-friendly concretes. The primary concern for these studies is the durability of the fibers in the external environment. For this purpose, the current paper presents a comparison study on the physical-mechanical behavior and durability against external sulfatic attack on Alfa and Hemp fiber-reinforced concrete. To assess the effects of sulfatic attack, different types of concrete underwent two aging protocols: 1) a complete immersion in 12.5 % Sodium Sulfate (Na<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub>) solution and, 2) an accelerated aging protocol which consisted of immersion/drying in the same sulfate solution at a temperature of 60°C. The results show that the optimal amount of plant fiber is variable, depending on several parameters such as the chemical composition, mechanical characteristics, and morphology of the fiber. In addition, the results show that the use of Alfa and hemp fibers could facilitate the production of green and durable structural concretes.
Highlights
Concrete is the most widely used construction material today. It is an economic material with good compressive strength [1], concrete structures are regularly subjected to aggressive environmental conditions from a variety of naturally occurring and industrial chemicals
This can be explained by the high porosity of vegetable fibers [10], which would cause a further increase in the water absorption amount proportionally with the amount of hemp or Alfa fibers
This was due to the high amount and flexibility of hemp fiber compared to Alfa fiber, which can lead to the formation of "pellets" during the mixing process and makes the mixture stiff
Summary
Concrete is the most widely used construction material today. It is an economic material with good compressive strength [1], concrete structures are regularly subjected to aggressive environmental conditions from a variety of naturally occurring and industrial chemicals. The use of plant fibers in composites as a reinforcing material has attracted the attention of researchers in the field of civil engineering in recent years, as substitutes to synthetic fibers such as polypropylene. This interest is growing for several reasons: (1) economic: create or develop economical activities in remote areas; (2) social: maintain agriculture in such areas (3) environmental: replace industrial components in concrete and valorize waste of agriculture origin [9, 10]. We pay particular attention to evaluating the physical and mechanical performance of concrete reinforced with Alfa fibers (AC) and Hemp fibers (HC) as well as their durability against external sulfatic attacks. Two aging protocols were used: 1) a complete immersion in Na2SO4 solution with a concentration of 12.5% by weight [21], and 2) the use of an accelerated aging protocol; an immersion/drying at 60°C in the same solution with the same concentration [22]
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