Title: Use of San Fibre in Cement Concrete Sheets

Author(s): R. Siddique and J. Venkataramana

Publication: Symposium Paper

Volume: 146

Issue:

Appears on pages(s): 69-78

Keywords: absorption; fiber reinforced concretes; fibers; impact strength; static strength; tensile strength; water; General

DOI: 10.14359/4616

Date: 6/1/1994

Abstract:
Thin natural fiber reinforced concrete sheets and tiles can be an inexpensive, attractive alternative to conventional roofing materials such as corrugated aluminum sheets, which are costly and energy-intensive in their production. Further production of such sheets may be done through intermediate technology, which does not rely much on heavy machinery and skilled labor. The present work aims at determining the suitability of San fiber, available in the Rjasthan state of India, for manufacturing thin fiber reinforced cement concrete sheets that can be used as roofing and paving tiles. For this purpose, 300 x 300 x 300-mm sheets, reinforced with randomly distributed discontinuous fibers, were tested for static load-carrying capacity and impact strength. The following conclusions are drawn, based on comparison with unreinforced cement concrete sheets. San fiber can be effectively used as a reinforcing material for sheets. Chopped fibers improve ductility, and impact strength is improved by about 23 to 29 percent, compared to unreinforced sheets. Overall indications are that San fiber can be used in the production of cost-effective roofing and paving material, compared to concrete reinforced with costlier fibers, such as steel.