Mechanical characterisation and impact behaviour of concrete reinforced with natural fibres

It is well known that high strength concrete displays a brittle behaviour and less tough characteristics than normal strength concrete. This type of behaviour can be enhanced by incorporating various types of fibres which lead to better mechanical properties and impact resistance. In this paper, an experimental study conducted on high strength concrete reinforced with glass fibres and natural fibres (palm tree leaves), both used at a relatively low volume fraction, is presented. Compressive, splitting, three-point bending and impact test methods have been used to characterise reinforced concrete materials, and the results are analysed statistically. It is observed that natural fibres enhanced the mechanical properties and impact resistance of concrete and exhibit comparable response to the glass fibres. A finite element model using ANSYS was employed to study the flexural behaviour of fibre reinforced concrete. It is concluded that both experimental and numerical results are in good agreement.