Assessing the effect of natural fiber on mechanical properties and microstructural characteristics of high strength concrete

In light of environmental concerns such as global warming, there has been a dramatic rise in natural fiber concrete (NFC) research and development. The advantages of these materials over others, such as low environmental impact and minimal cost, warrant interest and support their potential across various applications. This study investigates mechanical properties and micro-structural analysis for M70 grade of high-strength concrete (HSC) under the effect of natural fiber with alccofine. Cement was partially replaced in this investigation by 15 % alccofine content. In this experiment, natural banana fiber (BF) and coir fiber (CF) were selected and added in concrete at 0.5 %, 1 %, 1.5 %, and 2 % by volume. Nine concrete mix compounds were developed and investigated the mechanical characteristics, including uniaxial compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, flexural strength, impact strength, and bond strength of concrete, and microstructural analysis, including scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive Xray spectroscopy (EDS), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and Xray diffraction (XRD), were examined. The outcome of the results revealed that the inclusion of BF and CF with alccofine improves the mechanical characteristics of concrete compared to the control mix. Compared with reference HSC, 1 % banana fiber increased the mechanical performance after 28 days of curing. BF significantly enhanced the mechanical properties of high-strength concrete compared to CF. Furthermore, banana fiber provides early warning of failure due to its elasticity.