Material characterization of coconut midrib strip - a sustainable material for ground improvement

Abstract

The tensile behavior of soil is of utmost importance in civil engineering as tensile failure can cause cracking earthen dam construction and road pavement subgrade. To address this issue, natural fiber reinforced geotextiles are increasingly being utilized in various geotechnical applications. This study aims to investigate the effect of gauge length, strain rate, and Young's modulus of a single coconut midrib taken from a leaf by conducting a series of uni-axial tensile strength tests. Additionally, the characteristic tensile strength is determined using Weibull statistical distribution analysis to evaluate the consistency of test results. Overall, this article contributes to a better understanding of the tensile behavior of natural fiber reinforced geotextiles and can aid in the design and construction of geotechnical structures that are resistant to tensile failure. According to the study's findings, an increase in gauge length and strain rate led to a decrease in the Weibull modulus. Moreover, for larger gauge lengths and strain rates, inconsistent variations in the coefficient of variation were observed. The experiments also showed that midribs immersed in water for seven days exhibited lower tensile strength, and consistent outcomes were obtained when using a gauge length of 150 mm and a strain rate of 0.3%/min. These results contribute to a better understanding of the factors that affect the tensile behavior of coconut midribs, particularly when used in geotechnical applications, and can inform the selection of appropriate testing parameters for future studies.