Critical evaluation of date palm sheath fibre characteristics as a reinforcement for developing sustainable cementitious composites from waste materials

Abstract

Decarbonizing the construction industry is an important step towards achieving the net-zero goals for many countries. New technologies and materials are extensively investigated and proposed to meet sustainability guidelines imposed by governments. This research develops a novel mix of sustainable pozzolanic cementitious composite ordinary Portland cement (OPC) with ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS)) reinforced with date palm fibre (DPF) to evaluate the effect of varying DPF loading contents (1, 2, and 3 wt.%) and lengths (10, 20, 30, and 40 mm) on the mechanical (compressive and flexural strength) and physical properties (water absorption) of the produced composite. The effect of curing conditions and DPF surface modification on the mechanical and physical properties was also explored. The results showed that the utilization of DPF as a reinforcement for GGBS/OPC improves the flexural and compressive strength of the composites, which represents a sustainable alternative to synthetic reinforcements for construction applications. Optimal results were demonstrated at the inclusion of 20-mm alkali-treated DPF at a loading content of 1 wt.% showing an enhancement in strength by 57.12% and 30.97% of flexural and compressive strength, respectively, at 28 days of ageing in a water bath. Graphical abstract

Manufacturing of Composite Panels from Date Palm Leaflet and Expanded Polystyrene Wastes Using Hot Compression Moulding Process

“…As a processing parameters, Awad [26] investigated the effect of temperature, pressure and time on the physical and mechanical behaviour of DPF reinforced unsaturated polyester resin (UPR). Three different reinforcement weights (10,15, and 20 tons ) were examined for 3, 6, and 9 minutes at 90 and 110°C.…”

Self-healing evaluation of bacteria grouted light weight aggregate concrete containing rice husk ash and steel fibers

“…In crushing and excavation process though huge amount of petroleum energy is consumed, various researches are carried (Sastry and Pothala 2012;Sastry and Murthy 2015) to find an alternate sustainable petroleum product using natural raw source and still it's in progress for large scale productions. Cracks appear easily in concrete due to its brittle nature and mere tensile strength (Awad et al 2022;Ogunbode et al 2021). However, finding an alternative for primary materials (cement and aggregate) would be the acceptable solution for sustainable construction.…”