Assessment of the Mechanical Properties Of Sisal Fibre Reinforced Concrete Slab

Abstract

The mechanical properties of sisal fibre reinforced concrete slab were examined using the central point bending test and the impact strength test. The sisal fibre reinforcement was hand laid in the form of mat or fabric with 0%, 2%, 4% and 6% by weight of cement in a slab. Sisal fibre reinforcement was shown to improve some of the mechanical properties investigated. The flexural strength as well as impact strength was seen to increase as the fibre content increases from 0% to 6%. In contrast, the compressive strength reduces with a corresponding decrease in weight of the slabs as fibre content increases from 2% to 6%. The mix proportion used was 1:2:4 with water/cement ratio of 0.6 and cured for 28 days. The modulus of rupture for the slab was found to be 0.0039, 0.0078, 0.011 and 0.056 N/mm2 respectively for 0%, 2%, 4% and 6% of sisal fibre. For the impact strength, the number of blows to no rebound for the various percentages of fibre was 42, 36, 32 and 27. The maximum deflections at rupture were 6.00, 7.00, 9.00 and 12.00 mm for the various fibre content. The result shows that the slab reinforced with sisal fibre can be used in structural elements where high energy absorption may be required. The sisal fibre reinforced slab was also able to sustain some load even when cracks had developed.