Fiber Reinforced Concrete with Natural Plant Fibers—Investigations on the Application of Bamboo Fibers in Ultra-High Performance Concrete

authored by: Can Mark Bittner, Vincent Oettel
Abstract: Natural plant fibers represent a sustainable alternative to conventional fiber reinforcement materials in cementitious materials due to their suitable mechanical properties, cost-effective availability and principle carbon neutrality. Due to its high tensile strength and stiffness as well as its worldwide distribution along with rapid growth, bamboo offers itself in particular as a plant fiber source. In experimental studies on concrete beams reinforced with plant fibers, a positive influence of the fibers on the flexural behavior was observed. However, the load-bearing effect of the fibers was limited by the poor bond, which can be attributed, among other things, to the swelling behavior of the fibers. In addition, the plant fibers degrade in the alkaline environment of many cementitious building materials. In order to improve the bond and to limit the alkalinity and to increase the durability, the use of ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) offers itself. Since no tests have been carried out, investigations on the flexural behavior of UHPC with bamboo fibers were carried out at the Institute of Concrete Construction of Leibniz University Hannover. The test results show a significantly improved load-bearing behavior of the fibers and the enormous potential of the combination of UHPC and bamboo fibers.
Organisation(s): Institute of Concrete Construction
Type: Article
Journal: Sustainability (Switzerland)
Volume: 14
ISSN: 2071-1050
Publication date: 10.2022
Publication status: Published
Peer reviewed: Yes
ASJC Scopus subject areas: Computer Science (miscellaneous), Geography, Planning and Development, Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment, Building and Construction, Environmental Science (miscellaneous), Energy Engineering and Power Technology, Hardware and Architecture, Computer Networks and Communications, Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law
Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy
Electronic version(s): https://doi.org/10.3390/su141912011 (Access: Open)