Assessing the effect of bamboo fiber on the mechanical properties of fiber reinforced concrete.
Abstract
Bamboo has a potential as a construction material due to its high tensile strength that makes it
comparable to steel as a reinforcement in concrete. It can be used as a fiber in reinforced
concrete for improving strength properties of concrete. However, the effect of bamboo fiber on
mechanical properties of fiber reinforced concrete are not known. The objective was to assess
the effect of bamboo fiber on the mechanical properties of fiber reinforced concrete using
compressive, flexural, tensile and slump experimental tests. This was to determine mechanical
properties of bamboo, workability of fresh bamboo fiber reinforced concrete, compressive and
tensile strength and optimize the bamboo fiber proportion for concrete strength improvement.
The failure load of bamboo under compression and flexure at 1, 3 and 5 years was recorded
and used to compute its compressive and flexural strength. The slump of fresh fiber reinforced
concrete was measured at 0%, 1% and 2% of bamboo fiber in concrete and used to determine
the workability of fresh concrete. The failure load of bamboo fiber reinforced concrete was
recorded at 7, 14 and 28 days and used to compute compressive and tensile strengthen gained.
These results were used to optimize bamboo fiber proportions.
The results were analyzed using Microsoft Excel. Results indicated bamboo has high
compressive strength in the bottom and top parts of the culm for bamboo with and without
nodes. Bamboo with nodes had a higher compressive strength on average because the nodes
are the strongest part of the bamboo. The flexural strength was higher at the bottom and top
parts of the bamboo culm. However, the flexural strength decreased with increase in the age of
the bamboo. Workability decreased with increase in fiber proportions in concrete. Compressive
strength decreased with increasing bamboo proportions with 1 and 38.5% decrease. There was
an increase in tensile strength of bamboo FRC with increase in fiber proportions from 1.9 to
2.7 N/mm2
at 28 days. The optimum bamboo fiber proportion for concrete strength
improvement was at 1% and gave 19.4 and 2.7 N/mm2
for compressive and tensile strengths at
28 days respectively.
Bamboo fiber enhances the strength properties of fiber reinforced concrete in tension and
reduces the compressive strength of the concrete within acceptable ranges up to 1%. Bamboo
fiber reinforced concrete should be promoted for use in structures with light loads such as
walling units, shades or on pavements and parking for soil reinforcement.