Preliminary studies on the development of sustainable lightweight foamed concrete reinforced with natural fibres for mechanical properties enhancement

Abstract

Although foamed concrete was originally developed for void filling and insulation, today's society is gradually shifting its focus to structural qualities. The findings of an experimental investigation that was conducted to determine the impact of various densities and additives on the mechanical properties of foamed concrete are presented in this paper. Additionally, control foamed concrete samples with various densities (600kg/m3, 1200kg/m3, and 1800kg/m3) and additives were created separately to evaluate the effects of each on the mechanical qualities. Coir fibre, sisal fibre, kenaf fibre and flax fibre were used as additives in foamed concrete. According to this study, the density of foamed concrete was influenced by its density due to the volume of porosity. On the other hand, it was discovered that foamed concrete samples with the inclusion of kenaf fibre produced better improvements to the mechanical properties compared to other types of fibre. Since kenaf fibre has a high failure strain and is suitable for use as reinforcement in foamed concrete, it can improve compatibility between the fibres and matrix. The results of this study will help us understand how natural fibres might be used in foamed concrete.