Modification of textile-reinforced concrete incorporating kenaf fibre

Abstract

Textile-reinforced concrete (TRC) is a composite material consisting of high-strength mortar and continuous textiles that can form a slender member. In normal concrete, a discrete short fibre can be incorporated to increase its performance under tensile force while improving its ductility under bending. This research investigated the effect of incorporating natural kenaf fibre into TRC to improve its tensile strength and ductility. The tensile and flexural strengths of TRC with and without kenaf fibre were investigated, having either single or two layers of carbon textile mesh. It was found that mortar with 2% kenaf fibres treated with NaOH solution yields the highest compressive strength of 52.0 MPa, well beyond the target strength of 40 MPa. The addition of short fibre increases the tensile strength of a single-layer TRC without fibre, while minimal strength improvement was observed in two-layer TRC. The addition of kenaf fibre did not improve the overall behaviour of TRC under flexure. However, the ultimate flexural capacity and ductility increased when the kenaf fibre was added to TRC. Generally, short kenaf fibre can be incorporated into TRC where tensile strength is required; however, the number of textile layers will control the improvement in strength.