Abstract
Global awareness towards climate changes and sustainability has attracted research into the use of natural materials in construction. Recent studies on the ribs of the leaflets of the oil palm tree - Oil Palm Broom Fibres (OPBF), reported impressive physico-mechanical properties. However, information on their bond behaviour with cementitious matrices is presently lacking. This study investigates the bond strength of single and combined OPBF in concrete through direct pull-out tests. Maximum bond strengths of 1.16, 0.95 and 0.82 MPa were recorded at 28, 56 and 112 days respectively. The influence of age of sample and diameter of OPBF tendons on bond strength was observed. Images obtained from scanning electron microscopy reveal embrittlement of fibre surfaces by cement matrix. Finite element modelling of the pull-out behaviour was also carried out using ABAQUS. The potential use of OPBF combined in the form of tendons as longitudinal reinforcement in concrete for lightly loaded structural elements is environmentally friendly and can reduce construction cost.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 47-64 |
Number of pages | 18 |
Journal | Construction Materials |
Volume | 174 |
Issue number | 1 |
Early online date | 6 May 2020 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Feb 2021 |
Bibliographical note
AcknowledgementsThe authors would like to thank the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) of Nigeria for sponsoring this research.
Keywords
- Concrete technology & manufacture
- Developing countries
- Strength & testing of materials