Experimental Study on the Durability Characteristics of Several Vegetable Fiber Reinforced Concretes Exposed to Sodium Sulfate

Recently, numerous plant fibers have been investigated as a means to reinforce concrete and replace synthetic fibers, thereby producing more eco-friendly concretes. The primary concern for these studies is the durability of the fibers in the external environment. For this purpose, the current paper presents a comparison study on the physical-mechanical behavior and durability against external sulfatic attack on Alfa and Hemp fiber-reinforced concrete. To assess the effects of sulfatic attack, different types of concrete underwent two aging protocols: 1) a complete immersion in 12.5 % Sodium Sulfate (Na2SO4) solution and, 2) an accelerated aging protocol which consisted of immersion/drying in the same sulfate solution at a temperature of 60°C. The results show that the optimal amount of plant fiber is variable, depending on several parameters such as the chemical composition, mechanical characteristics, and morphology of the fiber. In addition, the results show that the use of Alfa and hemp fibers could facilitate the production of green and durable structural concretes.