Utilization of sugar palm tree fiber (Arenga Pinnata) in production of concrete paving blocks / by RC Mayco R. Ramos and Kienard B. Ricohermoso.

Thesis (Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering) Cavite State University.

Includes bibliographical references.

College of Engineering and Information Technology (CEIT), Department of Civil Engineering

RAMOS, RC MAYCO R. and RICOHERMOSO, KIENARD B. Utilization of Sugar Palm Tree Fiber (Arenga Pinnata) in Production of Concrete Paving Blocks.
Undergraduate Thesis. Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. Cavite State University, Indang, Cavite. June 2019. Adviser: Engr. Roslyn P. Pena
Sugar palm fiber is considered as one of the natural fibers which gains acceptance as reinforcement in composites; it is extracted from the different parts of the sugar palm tree which are the trunk, brunch, frond and the surface of the trunk. In addition to that, it is also known in some rural communities for multipurpose traditional uses. In some cases, sugar palm fiber becomes a waste, so in order to make other usage for the fiber, researchers find an idea for other usage of sugar palm fiber in terms as reinforcement in concrete paving blocks. The main objective of this study was to identify the effects of using sugar palm fiber in concrete paving blocks in terms of its maximum strength that can be gained through various experiments.
For the tensile strength test, three trials were conducted in order to get the average mean weight in getting the tensile strength, results showed that the tensile strength obtained was 38.90 MPa with an average mean weight of the three trials was 157.676 grams.
According to American Society for Testing and Materials D570, for water absorption test which conducted on the sugar palm fiber, it attained average water
absorption of 45.85%. However, mixed concrete having sugar palm fiber results to lesser compressive strength with slow setting of time. Researchers conducted four treatments
(0%, 1%, I .5%, and 2%) that results to weaker compressive strength as the percentage of sugar palm fiber treatment increases. The results showed that the 0% treatment of sugar palm fiber, gained the highest compressive strength, while the last treatment consisting 2% of sugar palm fiber gained the weakest strength.
In conducting this research, researchers found out that the commercial cost for the concrete paving blocks was lower than of the fiber-reinforced concrete paving blocks. This was according to the computation done by the researchers. This means that the more economical concrete paving blocks to use was still the commercial rather than of fiber reinforced.
This study concluded that a sugar palm fiber strand with a length of 10 inches with a diameter of 0.225 mm has a tensile strength of 38.90 MPa and could carry a load up to 157.676 grams; the property of water absorption of sugar palm fiber had affected the workability of the fresh concrete. Researchers found that sugar palm fiber had an average water absorption Of 0.4585, for this impeded the setting time of the concrete; based on the results, treatment 2 was the most economical among the four treatments with sugar palm fiber; the mixture that had the highest compressive strength of 6556.33 psi (45.20 MPa) after 28 days is the Treatment 2, the mixture with the least percentage of sugar palm fiber of 1%; for the results in each test, compressive strength of the concrete paving blocks decreased as the amount of sugar palm fiber increased; it showed that the production cost per cubic meter of sugar palm fiber-reinforced concrete was higher than of the plain concrete, therefore, the plain concrete was considered to be more economical.

Submitted to the University Library 08-28-2019 T-8590