Awwad, Elie American University of Beirut - Civil and Environmental Engineering, Lebanon , Mabsout, Mounir American University of Beirut - Civil and Environmental Engineering, Lebanon , Hamad, Bilal American University of Beirut - Civil and Environmental Engineering, Lebanon , Khatib, Helmi American University of Beirut - Civil and Environmental Engineering, Lebanon

PRELIMINARY STUDIES ON THE USE OF NATURAL FIBERS IN SUSTAINABLE CONCRETE

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The paper reports on preliminary tests performed to produce a sustainable “green” concrete material using natural fibers such as industrial hemp, palm, and banana leaves fibers. Such material would increase the service life and reduce the life cost of the structure, and would have a positive effect on social life and social economy. The demand for the agricultural fibers for concrete production would be a major incentive to Lebanese farmers to benefit from the social impact on the habitat level of living. In the preliminary program reported in this paper, cubes and standard flexural beams were tested to evaluate the structural and physical performance of concrete mixes prepared with different volumetric ratios of added fibers and different proportions of aggregates. Test results indicated that the use of natural fibers resulted in reducing the coarse aggregate quantity without affecting the flexural performance of concrete. However, no clear trend was determined in the cubes compressive strength test results.

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sustainable materials , natural fibers , energy efficiency , building systems , construction industry

Lebanese Science Journal

117