Mechanical characterization of earth-based composites materials reinforced with treated bamboo fibres for affordable housing

Abstract

This paper presents the characterization of laterite-cement-based matrix composites, reinforced with chemically modified bamboo fibers. Fiber extraction and chemical modification were first explored by soaking slabs of bamboos in NaOH solution (5 wt.% of NaOH in distilled water) for 14 days. Fiber characterization, as well as the flexural and compressive strength of reinforced composites, were carried out with MTS universal mechanical testing machine. Comparative results on the compressive and flexural strength were obtained at 80 wt.% laterite (L) to 20 wt.% cement (C) with fiber ratios from 5-25 wt%. The compressive strength of the composites varied from 7.2 MPa (at 5 wt.% bamboo fiber) to 17.67 MPa (at 25 wt% fiber blocks). The hardness of the composites was found to improve from 66.67-75.0 HD with bamboo fibers. Results were then discussed for possible structural applications such as enhancing low-cost building blocks for rural communities in Ghana.

Description

This is the Accepted Manuscript version of this article which has been accepted for publication and will appear in a revised form, subsequent to peer review and/or editorial input by Materials Research Society or Cambridge University Press, in MRS Advances published by Materials Research Society and Cambridge University Press, together with a copyright notice in the name of the copyright holder (Materials Research Society). On publication, the full bibliographical details of the article (volume: issue number (date), page numbers) will be inserted after the journal-title, together with a link to the Cambridge website address for the Journal.

Keywords

composite materials, bamboo, hardness, low-cost building materials

Citation

DOI