Fiber Reinforced Compressed Earth Blocks: Evaluating Flexural Strength Characteristics Using Short Flexural Beams

There are ongoing research efforts directed at addressing strength limitations of compressed earth blocks (CEB) that inhibit their deployment for structural applications, particularly in areas where masonry systems are regularly subjected to lateral loads from high winds. In this paper, the authors...

Descripción completa

Guardado en:
Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Peter Donkor, Esther Obonyo, Christopher Ferraro
Formato: article
Lenguaje:EN
Publicado: MDPI AG 2021
Materias:
T
Acceso en línea:https://doaj.org/article/f9b49925c1c84761a71f07c46ab03bfc
Etiquetas: Agregar Etiqueta
Sin Etiquetas, Sea el primero en etiquetar este registro!
Descripción
Sumario:There are ongoing research efforts directed at addressing strength limitations of compressed earth blocks (CEB) that inhibit their deployment for structural applications, particularly in areas where masonry systems are regularly subjected to lateral loads from high winds. In this paper, the authors focus specifically on the extent to which polypropylene (PP) fibers can be used to enhance the flexural performance of CEB. Cementitious matrices used for CEB production exhibit low tensile and flexural strength (brittle) properties. This work investigates plain (unreinforced) and fiber-reinforced specimens (short flexural beams) with fiber mass content of 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, and 1.0% and ordinary Portland cement (OPC) content of 8%. The influence of the inclusion of fiber was based on tests conducted using the Standard Test Method for Flexural Performance of Fiber-Reinforced Concrete (ASTM C1609). Material properties that were quantified included first-peak strength, peak strength, equivalent flexural strength, residual strength, and flexural toughness. There was an observed improvement in the performance of the soil-fiber matrixes based on these results of these tests. It was also observed that when the fiber content exceeded 0.6% and above, specimens exhibited a deflection- hardening behavior; an indication of improvement in ductility. An equivalent flexural strength predictive model is proposed.