UTILIZATION OF NATURAL WASTE COIR FIBER FOR ENHANCED COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH OF FOAMED CONCRETE

Abstract

Foamed concrete is a lightweight material known for its excellent thermal insulation, soundproofing, and fire resistance properties, making it ideal to use for structural components. With densities of  300-1600 kg/m³, foamed concrete reduces the dead load of structures, allowing for more cost-effective and efficient design. Despite these advantages, foamed concrete often suffers from low compressive strength, and toughness, limiting its use in other applications. To address these, this experimental study aimed to develop and design foamed concrete with brown coir fiber as an additive and assess its compressive strength. The researchers prepared foamed concrete with varying percentages of 0%, 2.5%, 3.0%, and 3.5% by volume as an additive. The coir fibers were oven-dried and cut into 25mm length. TR-A plant-based foaming agent was used for a 0.6895MPa pressurized foam generator in preparing foam that was added to concrete mixture. The compressive strengths were determined at 7, 14 and 28 days of curing and the study found that the inclusion of coir fiber significantly enhances the compressive strength of foamed concrete. Coir fiber percentage significantly contributed to the compressive strengths while the curing duration and its interaction with fiber content do not significantly change the effect. Optimal results occurred at 2.5 % fiber content showing mean value of 5.799MPa increasing the strength of the control by 47.42%. Excessive fiber content led to strength reduction. Considering its significant increase in compressive strength it has a potential to be used in other structural elements but further studies may be needed while considering different lengths.