ANALYSIS OF MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF BAMBOO AND FIBER REINFORCED FOAM CONCRETE

Abstract

An experimental investigation on bamboo and fiber reinforced foam concrete was carried out in this project. The foam concrete is the introduction of foam in the cement mortar. Cement, M Sand passing through 600µm, water and foaming agent (SLES) were materials for foam concrete. The mix ratio of foam concrete of density 1500 kg/m3 and 1600 kg/m3 and concrete without foam was Cement: M sand of 1:1 and water to cement ratio of 0.5 % of weight of cement. The polypropylene fibers were used in foam concrete of 0.5% of weight of cement. The cubes were cast to measure compressive strength for 7, 14 and 28 days of curing. The cylinders and prisms were cast to measure the tensile and flexural strength for 28 days of curing respectively. The results showed increase of compressive strength, tensile strength and flexural strength when the density increased. Based on the results, three bamboo and fiber reinforced foam concrete of density 1600 kg/m3 and steel and fiber reinforced concrete without foam beams of size 115 x 225 x 1200 mm were cast and cured for 28 days. The bamboo was treated with araldite epoxy resin and the bamboo reinforcement cage were wrapped with hexagonal oven mesh. The hexagonal oven mesh wrapped around bamboo reinforcement cage reduced slippage of bamboo from foam concrete.