KEKTAD FIBER REINFORCED CONCRETE

Abstract

The Agave Vera-Cruz Mill (i.e.in Marathi language called KEKTAD plant) fibers, abundantly available in nature specially in semi arid-region of Maharashtra  and also this plant called as medicinal plant as it is used against stomach problem diseases. In old days in India this fiber is mostly used for making Ropes, Mats & other useful products in regular lifestyle. This fiber is under Agave species. As we know that one important specie Agave Sisalana that is Sisal plant from that Sisal fibers are occurred, which is used successfully in concrete very well. The difference between Agave Vera-Cruz Mill and Agave Sisalana plant is the height of Agave Sisalana plant is more as compared to Agave Vera-Cruz Mill plant & also the width of leaves of Agave Vera-Cruz Mill plant is more than that of leaves of Agave Sisalana plant. So, as these two plants are from same species, Agave Vera-Cruz Mill plant fiber (i.e.KEKTAD fiber) can be use in concrete as similar to that Agave Sisalana plant (i.e. SISAL fiber). This project presents the effects of Agave Vera-Cruz Mill fiber inclusion on the mechanical properties of concrete matrix in wet and hardened state and durability tests. For checking mechanical properties of Agave Vera-Cruz Mill fiber reinforced concrete used fiber-cement ratios 0.05%, 0.1% and 0.15% in M30 grade of concrete. It is observed that workability reduced with addition of fiber and it is tested by Vee-Bee apparatus. The Vee-Bee time observed as 7 sec, 10 sec, 13 sec, and 17 sec with varying percentage of fiber-cement ratios as 0%, 0.05%, 0.1% and 0.15% respectively.  The compressive strength of Agave Vera-Cruz Mill fiber reinforced concrete with fiber-cement ratio 0.05%, 0.1%, 0.15% increased over conventional concrete about 6.05%, 11.92%, 11.45%, 15.9%, 15.62%, 19.63% and 14.79%, 20.57%, 7.76%  in 3, 7, 28 days cured cube specimen. The Split Tensile  and Flexural Strength of this concrete increases with 9.79%, 9.27%, 12.37% and 3.17%, 3.65%, 1.44% respectively over plain concrete