Experimental Study on Strength and Durability Properties of Sisal Fiber Reinforced Concrete (SFRC)

Concrete is the most widely used material throughout the world. Concrete is a brittle material which is good in compression but it is weak in tension, this leads to the formation of cracks, these cracks extend and reach the compression phase and finally the member breaks. It becomes necessary to find a best method to improve the strength of concrete by replacing cement with some natural material. A technique of introducing of natural fibers in concrete can be done. The influence of sisal fibers on the strength of concrete is taken as the main objective of this experimental study. The fiber diameter was first observed through micrometer gauge and was seen to be average 0.3mm. The sisal fibers were added with aspect ratio of 100 and the varying percentages of 0%, 0.5%, 1%, 1.5% and 2% in M25 grade of concrete and the mechanical properties such as compression, and split tensile were tested. Then the optimum fiber volume fraction for compressive strength was found. From the obtained optimum volume, the durability tests were conducted. The test results indicated that the sisal fibers were effective in improving the strength and durability of concrete.