Mechanical properties of miscanthus reinforced concrete

There has been an increasing interest in the use of vegetable-fiber-reinforced structural concrete elements in many countries recently. Vegetable fibers facilitate the production of structural elements that are cheaper, lighter and they improve the mechanical properties of the cement, and provide aural and thermal insulation. Vegetable fibers are preferred because they increase the ductility of the material; this has the important effect of improving dissipation capacity when fissures occur. In addition, the manufacturing cost of this material is very low. In this study, cylinder and beam specimens were produced by using miscanthus (sinensis) as a plant fiber in the concrete. Ø15/30 cm cylinder specimens were subjected to compression tests and splitting tests. 5x15x75 cm beam specimens were subjected to bending tests. The granulometry of the aggregate was kept constant during the preparation process of the concrete mix, and the concrete was produced with a water-cement ratio of 0.5 having 450, 400 and 350 kg/m3 cement dosages, and with various fiber ratios (0%, 2%, 4%, 6%).