Mechanical Performance of Natural Fiber-Reinforced Concrete using Banana Stem and Sugarcane Fibers

Abstract

Concrete, widely used in construction, boasts high compressive strength but suffers from low tensile strength, leading to rapid crack propagation and brittle failures. Natural Fiber-Reinforced Concrete (NFRC) mitigates these issues by incorporating short, uniformly distributed fibers into the concrete matrix. This research explores NFRC using banana pseudostem fiber, sugarcane bagasse fiber, and their blend. The objectives include optimizing mix designs by varying fiber volumes, assessing the physical and mechanical properties of Banana Pseudo Stem NFRC, Sugarcane Bagasse NFRC, and Hybrid Fiber-Reinforced Concrete (HyFRC), and evaluating NFRC’s resistance to micro-crack propagation through SEM analysis. Natural fibers of 30mm, 40mm, and 50mm lengths were used, with sugarcane bagasse fibers at 0.25%, 0.50%, and 0.75% volume fractions, and banana pseudo-stem fibers at 1%, 1.5%, and 2%. Results showed that a 1.5% increase in 50mm banana pseudo-stem fibers reduced compressive strength by 26.7% but boosted flexural strength by 71.78%. A 0.75% increase in 40mm sugarcane bagasse fibers raised compressive and flexural strength by 33.14% and 150.09%, respectively. Combining 75% banana with 25% sugarcane fibers improved compressive and flexural strength by 13.92% and 64.43%, respectively. The optimal mix included 1.5% of 50mm banana fibers, 0.75% of 40mm sugarcane fibers, and a 75%:25% banana to sugarcane ratio. Integrating natural fibers into concrete shows promise for enhancing reinforced concrete’s strength.