Optimizing high strength concrete: a comprehensive study on the synergistic effects of natural fibres and silica fume on workability, mechanical and flexural behavior

ABSTRACT This research explores the synergistic effects of natural fiber reinforcement, specifically manila hemp, and silica fume incorporation on the performance of high-strength concrete (HSC). Various concrete mixtures were developed with different proportions of natural fibers (0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, 1...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inMatéria Vol. 29; no. 4
Main Authors Subban, Nandagopalan, Muthusamy, Natarajan, Natarajan, Balasundaram
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Laboratório de Hidrogênio, Coppe - Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; em cooperação com a Associação Brasileira do Hidrogênio, ABH2 2024
Subjects
CONSTRUCTION & BUILDING TECHNOLOGY
MATERIALS SCIENCE, MULTIDISCIPLINARY
METALLURGY & METALLURGICAL ENGINEERING
Flexural behavior
Natural fibre
Mechanical property
Manila hemp
Silica fume
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Summary:ABSTRACT This research explores the synergistic effects of natural fiber reinforcement, specifically manila hemp, and silica fume incorporation on the performance of high-strength concrete (HSC). Various concrete mixtures were developed with different proportions of natural fibers (0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5%, and 2.0% by volume) and silica fume (0% to 30% by increment of 5% in weight of cement). A series of tests were conducted to evaluate workability, mechanical properties (including compressive, tensile, and flexural strength), and flexural aspects (such as deflection of beam). The findings demonstrate that incorporating up to 1.5% natural fibers and silica fume content up to 20% was found to improve mechanical property of 21% and flexural property of 18% due to its pozzolanic properties and ability to optimize particle packing. However, increasing the fiber and silica fume content beyond these levels resulted in reduced workability and only minimal improvements in strength. The study identified an optimal mixture consisting of 1.0% natural fibers and 20% silica fume, achieving a balance between improved mechanical properties, enhanced flexural behavior, and acceptable workability. This combined approach provides a promising strategy for developing high-strength concrete with advanced performance.
ISSN:1517-7076
1517-7076
DOI:10.1590/1517-7076-rmat-2024-0525