Study on the effect of natural fibers in NFRC concrete in Vietnam

Abstract

This paper focus on the effect of natural fibers on the physical and mechanical properties of NFRC (Natural fiber reinforcement concrete). The study considered two types of fibers: flax fibers characteristic of the northern mountainous region of Vietnam and coconut fibers characteristic of the Mekong Delta region. The compression and 4-point bending experiments were performed with M100 and M300 concrete samples with different fiber content and morphology. The results showed
that the compressive strength Rn and bending strength Rku depend heavily on the characteristics, content fraction and processing method of fibers. For M100 concrete, natural fibers increase compressive strength and bending tensile strength compared to initial samples. For M300 concrete, all types of fibers reduce compressive strength and increase bending tensile strength compared to initial samples; the optimal fiber content is around 4%, but flax fibers give better results than coconut fibers of the same type in terms of bending strength.

Keywords: NFRC; flax; coconut fiber; compressive strength; bending strenth.