Enhancement of mechanical properties in polypropylene– and nylon–fibre reinforced oil palm shell concrete

Abstract In the realization of sustainable construction using structural lightweight concrete, the development of oil palm shell concrete (OPSC) faced the density bottleneck of 2000 kg/m 3 . This study aims to compare the effect of polypropylene (PP) and nylon fibres in enhancing the mechanical properties of oil palm shell fibre-reinforced concrete (OPSFRC). The volume fractions ( V f ) of 0.25%, 0.50% and 0.75% were studied for each fibre. As multi-filament PP fibres were added into OPSFRC, the marginal density reduction was reported without any change in the mechanical properties. Although mixes reinforced with nylon fibres showed an increment in density of 80–120 kg/m 3 and the highest enhancement in both compressive and tensile strengths, these were accompanied by a decrease in the modulus of elasticity (MOE). The optimum density reduction and MOE were obtained in OPSFRC containing fibrillated PP fibres along with a reduction in the compressive and tensile strengths. An increase in the post-failure compressive toughness of OPSFRC of up to 14% was reported in mixes reinforced with this fibre. The ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) was examined and the results showed that OPSC produced had attained good condition at the age of 7-days.

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