Innovative Eco-Friendly Concrete Utilizing Coconut Shell Fibers and Coir Pith Ash for Sustainable Development

Sivasamy Satheesh Kumar (), Ramasamy Murugesan, Muthusamy Sivaraja and Anand Athijayamani
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Sivasamy Satheesh Kumar: Department of Civil Engineering, Builders Engineering College, Tirupur 638108, India
Ramasamy Murugesan: Department of Civil Engineering, Government College of Engineering, Erode 638316, India
Muthusamy Sivaraja: Department of Civil Engineering, Nehru Institute of Technology, Coimbatore 641105, India
Anand Athijayamani: Department of Civil Engineering, Teeside University, Middlesbrough TS1 2NR, UK

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 13, 1-17

Abstract: Concrete is the most commonly used and essential material in the construction industry, and it is also the most widely utilized product globally. The construction industry is a rapidly expanding industry. To improve the efficiency and strength properties of concrete, researchers from all over the world continue to search for supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) and industrial by-products that can be incorporated as alternative materials. The current study aimed to determine the effects of partially substituting coir pith ash (CPA) for cement in coconut shell concrete, in addition to utilizing steel and coconut fibers. Various percentages of CPA were used to replace cement in the concrete mixes, ranging from 5% to 20% by cement weight. Steel fibers were utilized in this study at volume ratios of 0.25%, 0.5%, 0.75%, and 1.0%, and coconut fibers were utilized at volume ratios of 0.1% to 0.5% with an increment of 0.1% in the concrete to achieve the desired results. Various properties have been examined, such as workability, mechanical, durability, and morphological tests. The addition of coir pith ash to concrete increased its compressive, flexural, and tensile strengths by 10.36%, 8.75%, and 7.7% at 28 days compared to control concrete. The incorporation of coconut fiber and coconut shell in concrete production improves its performance and strength while also preserving natural resources and offering a solution to the problem of disposing of solid waste.

Keywords: coir pith ash; coconut fiber; coconut shell; steel fiber (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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