EVALUATION OF STRENGTH AND DURABILITY OF NATURAL FIBRE REINFORCED HIGH STRENGTH CONCRETE WITH M-SAND

The experimental investigation was carried out to study the variation in strength and durability properties of high strength concrete incorporated with sisal, banana and coir fibres. In this study, three different percentage 0.5%, 1% and 1.5% by volume of sisal banana and coir fibres were casted and results compared with control mix. The strength properties such as compressive strength, splitting tensile strength and flexural strength and durability properties like water absorption, sorptivity and rapid chloride permeability was studied. Test results show that, the addition of sisal banana fibre and coir fibre resulted in the enhancement of compressive strength, splitting tensile strength and flexural strength of concrete in the range of 4% to 10%. The optimum mix was arrived as 1% sisal and banana fibre and 0.5% coir fibre. The durability properties of optimum mix like water absorption, sorptivity and Rapid Chloride Penetration Test (RCPT) values have better performance compared to control mix due to its pore filling effect of natural fibres making the concrete denser.