EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON CONCRETE PROPERTIES USING PINEAPPLE LEAF FIBER

Abstract

In present constructions, the use of admixtures has increased for achieving various properties which cannot achieve by conventional properties. Nowadays, fibres are used as a reinforcing material in place of steel in concrete. These fibres could prevent cracking and improve the tensile strength of concrete. Fibres include natural fibre such as pineapple leaf fibre is an alternate non degradable matter which is not in demand of abundance and cheaper in the cost. This study presents the comparison on behaviour of Pineapple leaf Fibre composite in different fibre ratios with conventional concrete.

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International Journal of Advanced Research in Engineering and Technology (IJARET)
Volume 11, Issue 6, June 2020, pp. 913-920, Article ID: IJARET_11_06_082
Available online athttp://www.iaeme.com/IJARET/issues.asp?JType=IJARET&VType=11&IType=6
ISSN Print: 0976-6480 and ISSN Online: 0976-6499
DOI: 10.34218/IJARET.11.6.2020.082
© IAEME Publication Scopus Indexed
EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON CONCRETE
PROPERTIES USING PINEAPPLE LEAF FIBER
R. Abirami
Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Aarupadai Veedu Institute of
Technology, Vinayaka Missions Research Foundation, Paiyanoor, Chennai, India.
D.S.Vijayan
Associate Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Aarupadai Veedu Institute of
Technology, Vinayaka Missions Research Foundation, Paiyanoor, Chennai, India.
Sijo Joseph John, Aldrin Albert, Alfred Koshy Alex
UG Students, Department of Civil Engineering, Aarupadai Veedu Institute of Technology,
Vinayaka Missions Research Foundation, Paiyanoor, Chennai, India.
ABSTRACT
In present constructions, the use of admixtures has increased for achieving various
properties which cannot achieve by conventional properties. Nowadays, fibres are
used as a reinforcing material in place of steel in concrete. These fibres could prevent
cracking and improve the tensile strength of concrete. Fibres include natural fibre
such as pineapple leaf fibre is an alternate non degradable matter which is not in
demand of abundance and cheaper in the cost. This study presents the comparison on
behaviour of Pineapple leaf Fibre composite in different fibre ratios with conventional
concrete.
Key words: Natural fibres, Pinapple leaf fibre, conventional concrete.
Cite this Article: R. Abirami, D.S. Vijayan, Sijo Joseph John, Aldrin Albert and
Alfred Koshy Alex, Experimental Study on Concrete Properties Using Pineapple Leaf
Fiber, International Journal of Advanced Research in Engineering and Technology,
11(6), 2020, pp. 913-920.
http://www.iaeme.com/IJARET/issues.asp?JType=IJARET&VType=11&IType=6
1. INTRODUCTION
Concrete is defined as material made-up of embedded filler in hard matrix concrete materials
placed in between aggregate particles and glued them together. It essential for the binding
embedded particles of concrete or fragments of the course aggregates. Concrete productions
are made from several methods such as batching, mixing, consolidation, finishing and curing.
Concrete is one among the foremost widely used artifact. It is composed of three main
elements such as fillers, sand and cement, being the bonding factor and forms concrete. It has
compressive strength and low tensile strength. To compensate for weak tensile strength they

Experimental Study on Concrete Properties Using Pineapple Leaf Fiber
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are reinforced with fibres. Pineapple leaf fibre are used within the concrete to increase its
tensile strength. This composite has a suitable property to reduce the cracking of the surface
[1]. Concrete fibre has high energy absorption rate under impacts, so its not easily torn apart.
Adding fibre to the concrete to improve its properties is a practise started in the early 60s
during this past six decades a lot of advancement has been seen in addition of fibre to the
concrete to obtain various desired quantities[2].The reason this practise was started to avoid
the weak tensile strength of a raw concrete. Pineapple is a very common fruit and available all
over the world. Its leave can be used to fibres which then can be added to the concrete. This
provides a alternate was for using synthetic fibres and also using a biowaste to a good use [3].
In present, constructions are using various of additives to form various mixtures to
achieve various properties which are better than a lot of conventional properties of concrete.
Nowadays, fibres are used as a reinforcing material in place of steel in concrete [4]. These
natural fibres such as pineapple leaf fibre available at a very low cost could prevent cracking
and improve the tensile strength of concrete and also makes transforms it and homogeneous
and isotropic it from a brittle to a more ductile material [5]
Linto Mathew etal.(2017) carried out a experimental investigate the mechanical properties
of PALF fibre subjected to various test under high temperature. The study which determine
on the structural properties of PALF is added concrete at normal temperature. In this study,
PALF of specific ratio are randomly dispersed in concrete for the preparation of test
specimens are used for various experimental tests [16]. From the test conducted, control mix
compressive strength was obtained as 22.81MPa for 7 days normal curing and 34.29MPa for
28 days normal of curing. The compressive strength for various percentage addition of PALF
had obtained [17]. The peak 7th day compressive strength which obtained for concrete mix
ratio containing 0.10 fine adding of PALF as 27.31 MPa and it had been found to be 20%
more than the control mix. And peak 28th day compressive strength has obtained for concrete
mix ratio containing 0.10 fine adding of PALF as 40.53 MPa and it had been found to be 18%
more than the control mix[18]. From this it is clear that by adding 0.1% pineapple fibre to
M25 concrete we are able to replace M30 Concrete [6].
Vinod.b etal.(2014) carried out a study on Influence of fibre length on tribological
behavior of short PALF reinforced Bisphenol-A Composite Studied wear and frictional
properties unreinforced resin material and composite with different fibre length at varying
load PALF of 8mm show less specific wear rate &coefficient of friction[7]
2. MATERIAL USED
OPC of 53 grade used as per code IS 12269:2013. From laboratory tests results fineness of
cement obtained 7.33% and percentage of water for standard consistency is 30mm for 7mm
penetration [13]. The initial setting time 30mins and final setting time 10 hours is within the
limit of IS 4031-PART 3. M-Sand used as fine aggregate and granular stones used as coarse
aggregate at size of 12.5-20mm size with specific gravity of 2.71.
2.1. Pineapple Leaf Fibre
Pineapple leaf fibre composite plays important role in bio composite and material science.
PALF has been demonstrated as a decent substitute of manufactured filaments, on account of
its prudent and inexhaustible nature.[8] Explicit quality of normal strands underpins in
improving the physical and mechanical quality of polymer grid without utilizing any extra
preparing [9]. PALF is one of the have additionally great potential as support in thermoplastic
composite [10]. Utilizing these fibres in reinforced concrete reduced energy consumption,
biodegradability and low disposal cost [11].The objective of current research characterising

R. Abirami, D.S. Vijayan, Sijo Joseph John, Aldrin Albert and Alfred Koshy Alex
http://www.iaeme.com/IJARET/index.asp 915 editor@iaeme.com
the mechanical properties and physical properties of fibre with reinforced concrete at different
ratio [14].
The mechanical properties of PALF tested in laboratory and test results are tabulated in
table 1, Crushing strength and water absorption pictures shown in fig 2.
Figure 1 Pineapple Fibre
Table 1 Properties of PALF fibre
S.No
Properties of PALF fibre
Value of PALF Fibre
1
Density (g/cm3)
1.5
2
Length (mm)
6
3
Diameter(µm)
5
4
Tensile Strength (MPa)
165
5
Tensile Modulus (GPa)
7.25
6
% of Elongation
13
7
Water Absorption
7%
8
Crushing Value (MPa)
15.71
Figure 2 Crushing strength and water absorption test
3. CASTING OF CONCRETE SPECIMEN
The size of Cubes 150mmx150mmx150mm, Cylinders 150mm diameter and height 300mm
and rectangular beam size of 150mmx150mmx70mm are casted for both normal and
Pineapple fibre reinforced concrete at M20 grade mix of ratio 1:1.5:3 is used [12]. The water
–cement ratio required for mean strength of 20 MPa is 0.45.Fiber cement ratios of
0%,0.5%,0.10%,0.15%,0.20% were used.

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Figure 3 Specimens of Cube, Cylinder and Beam
Figure 4 Curing Process of Palm reinforced cubes
4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
4.1. Compression Test
The cube-compressive test was conducted in compression testing machine as per IS 416-
1964.The cube specimens were tested on compression testing machine of capacity 1000KN
[16]. The table 2 shows the Maximum Compressive strength obtained in water cement ratio of
0.45 and the table 3 shows Maximum value of compressive strength obtained at 0.1% of
fiber-cement ratio in 28 days
Table 2 Maximum Compressive strength obtained in water cement ratio of 0.45
S.No
Water content
Conventional concrete Compressive Strength
(MPa)
7 days
28days
1
0.45
20.96
20.3
2
0.5
15.18
16.33
3
0.55
11.476
12.93

R. Abirami, D.S. Vijayan, Sijo Joseph John, Aldrin Albert and Alfred Koshy Alex
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Table 3 Maximum value of compressive strength obtained at 0.1% of fiber-cement ratio in 28 days
S.No
Fiber Cement
Ratio(%)
28 Day Compressive Strength (MPA)
Sample 1
Sample 2
Average strength
1
0.05
31.55
31.2
30.8
2
0.1
34.25
34.0
33.8
3
0.15
32.0
31.6
32.75
4
0.2
28.88
27.5
27.65
Figure 5 Compression strength vs. % of fibre cement
4.2. Flexural Test
The flexural strength of the concrete beams which tested and the result has been tablutate in
the table 4 and the beam which is loaded in the utm which forms crack which has shown in
the figure 6. The experimental value has been tabled and ploted as graph which shown in
figure 7.
Figure 6 Testing of PALF reinforced beam
30.8
33.8 32.75
27.65
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25
Comprestion Strength
% of Fiber Cement Ratio

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Table 4 The Average Flexural strength of Concrete
S.No
Fiber Cement
Ratio(%)
Flexural Strength at 28 days (MPa)
Average Flexural
Strength
Sample 1
Sample 2
1
0.05
4.50
4.72
4.61
2
0.1
6.73
7.21
6.83
3
0.15
8.9
8.45
8.67
4
0.2
7.44
7.86
7.59
Figure 7 Flexural Strength vs. % of fibre cement
4.3. Tensile Strength
As per the codal procedure the split-tensile strength of the concrete cylider which tested and
the result has been tabulate in the table 5 and the beam which is loaded in the utm which
forms crack which has shown in the figure 8. The experimental value has been tabled and
plotted as graph which shown in figure 9.
Figure 8 Testing of PALF reinforced Cylinder
4.61
6.83
8.67
7.59
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25
Flexural Strength
% of Fiber Cement Ratio

R. Abirami, D.S. Vijayan, Sijo Joseph John, Aldrin Albert and Alfred Koshy Alex
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Table 5 Tensile strength of the concrete
S.No
Fiber Cement Ratio
(%)
Tensile Strength at 28 days (MPa)
Average Tensile
Strength
Sample 1
Sample 2
1
0.05
2.475
2.405
2.428
2
0.1
2.902
2.785
2.83
3
0.15
3.346
3.413
3.367
4
0.2
3.197
3.024
3.111
Figure 9 Tensile strength vs. % of fibre cement
5. CONCLUSION
The compressive strength was increased up to 30.62% on addition of PALF fibre at 0.1%. The
flexural strength was increased up to 46.858% as compared to conventional concrete. The
tensile strength was increased up to 14.20% while adding PALF. PALF Fibre has a hardness
ranging in 60-70. PALF reinforced concrete increases its mechanical properties as compared
to conventional concrete. Aggregate along the PALF gives less crushing value as compared to
conventional aggregate.
PALF reinforced concrete can be used in airport and shopping mall pavements hence it
has less crushing value and high strength as compared to conventional concrete. Hence PALF
is cheap and easily available material, which can be used in concrete to increase its properties
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