strength are the important mechanical properties of a
bamboo.
Effects of Bambusa blumeana
Fibers
in the Load Bearing Capacity
of
Concrete Hollow Blocks
Mapúa Institute of Technology
September 2014
RELATED LITERATURE
Concrete Hollow Blocks
Concrete Hollow Block (CHB) has two types: load
bearing and non-load bearing blocks. Load bearing
blocks are those that carry loads aside from its own
weight. Its thickness ranges from 15 to 20 centimeters.
On the other hand, non-load bearing blocks are those
that are planned to use as partition, fences, dividers and
walls that has a thickness of 7 to 10centimeters.
(Fajardo, 2000). The standard dimension of a hollow
block is 8 inches x 16 inches x 8 inches and 8 inches x
16 inches x 4 inches. To allow the mortar to join, the
dimensions are 3/8 inch smaller. (McElroy, 1990)
Bamboo and its Properties
Bamboos are actually known to be one of the fastest
growing plants in the world with reported growth rates
of 250 cm (98 inches) in 24 hours. It is notable to have
economic significance in some parts of the world like
South Asia, East Asia, and Southeast Asia, and was used
as a building material, food, and a raw product too. Also,
high-quality bamboos are significantly stronger than
steel.
Age is an important factor in developing strength in
bamboos. The tensile strength of a bamboo increases
according to its age. But the maximum strength of the
bamboo can only be realized up to 3-4 years. After
which, the bamboo tends to decrease its strength.
(Amanda and Untao, 2001).
Bamboo has been widely used as raw material
universally, its properties are important to be
evaluated; specifically its physical and mechanical
properties. Density, Specific gravity, and shrinkage in
diameter and wall thickness are the important physical
properties of a bamboo. Moreover, tensile strength,
flexural strength, shear strength, and compressive
The study shows that the density of bamboo increases
with age from 1 to 6 years. The bamboo becomes more
stable at 5 to 8 years and slightly decreased after 8
years. One of the
important mechanical properties of a bamboo is its
tensile strength especially when it is used as
reinforcement. According to CBRC (2008), the tensile
strength per unit weight of bamboo is 3 or 4 times as
high as steel which makes it a very good material for all
construction works. Also, comparing its shear strength
with other structural woods, bamboo has greater shear
strength and longer time before reaching its ultimate
strength. Bamboo has a high flexural strength because it
has the ability to bend without breaking. Lastly, it is said
that the compressive strength of bamboo is twice that of
other structural woods.
Bamboo Research in Philippines
In the Philippines, bamboo is commonly known as the
“poor man’s timber”. Bamboos are used for the house of
poor families, including sidings, floorings, roof framing,
furniture and windows. Locally, bamboos are utilized as
fish traps such as “baklad” and of fishpens which have
been popular in the production of certain species such
as “tilapia” and “bangus” in both fresh and salt water.
Due to its availability, easy to handle, durability and low
cost, bamboo has become a popular material for these
and other purposes. Bamboo has also been used in
musical instruments like, the world famous bamboo
organ of the Las Pinas Church in Metro Manila. One
example of musical band which uses bamboo is
“Pangkat Kawayan” and has been famous
internationally. Bambusa blumeana is the most
common specie in many areas of the country. (Lantican,
Palijon, and Saludo).
Bambusa blumeana
Bambusa blumeana is one of the most common and
widely distributed bamboo in the Philippines.
(Velasquez and Santos, 1931). It was introduced by the
Malays during the prehistoric times. (Merrill, 1916). It is
abundant in provinces like Bulacan, Laguna and
Batangas.
Fiber Reinforcement
Historically, many fibers have been used to reinforce
various building materials. However, until recently little
scientific effort has been devoted to the use of natural
fibers as reinforcement for concrete. The use of some of
the best known natural fibers such as coconut, sisal,
sugarcane bagasse, plantain (banana), palm, etc., has
mostly been limited to the production of fabrics, ropes,
mats, etc. In the Philippines, it is very desirable to use
natural fiber-reinforced concrete due to its low cost in
construction. American Concrete Institute 544. 1R-82
(1987) states that using fibers in concrete increases its
tensile strength because fibers delay the growth of
cracks. In addition, fiber increases toughness by
transmitting the stress across a cracked section which
allows larger
deformation of concrete beyond peak stress than of
when there are no fibers.
Natural Fiber as Reinforcement
In 1910, Porter first forwarded the idea that concrete
can be reinforced using fiber inclusion. Unlike
reinforcing steel that gets corroded over a long period,
fiber reinforcement is more eco-friendly and affordable.
In the study conducted by Ghorpade, Munirathnam and
Sudarsana (2013), 150 mm x 150 mm x 150 mm cubes
were cast and cured for 28 days to 22 determine the
compressive strength of Natural Rubber Latex Modified
Fiber Reinforced High Performance Concrete
(NRLMFRHPC). NRLMFRHPC is produced with locally
available materials in India like cement, fine aggregates,
coarse aggregates, Metakaolin and Crimped Steel Fibers.
Its compressive strength increases up to 0.5% additive
of Natural Rubber Latex but decreased after 0.5%.
Composition of Concrete
Concrete has been used in construction industries for so
many years. Concrete had begun in 1824, when Joseph
Aspdin took out a patent in England on “Portland
Cement”. It became widely used in Europe and was
brought to the US late 1800 and from there its use
continued to spread rapidly all over the world. Concrete
is a stone like material created by a careful
proportioned of mixture of cement, gravel, sand or
other inert materials and water to harden in forms and
shape of the desired structure. Concrete was used in
making structures, foundations, bridges, pavements,
walls, runways, dams, pipes and even boats. Concrete is
also the basis of a large commercial industry. It consists
of a mixture of aggregate (sand), coarse aggregate
(rock), cement, and water. Due to rapid development in
the construction industry, the use of concrete has been
increasing from time to time. Aggregate consists of large
chunks of material in a concrete mix and usually a
coarse gravel or crushed rocks. Cement (Portland
cement) serves as the binder for the aggregates.
Another component in a concrete mix is the water
which would give the workability of the concrete mix.
The water reacts with the cement which bonds the
other components together, creating a robust stone-like
material. Concrete has a characteristic of having a high
compressive strength but always has lower tensile
strength. So, it is usually reinforced with materials that
would increase its tensile capacity. One example of
reinforcement is steel.
Concrete Mix and Proportions
Concrete proportions must be selected to provide
workability, consistency, density, strength and
durability, for the particular application (ACI 211.1-91,
Reapproved 2009). Workability determines the capacity
of the concrete to be placed and consolidated properly
and be finished without harmful segregation.
Consistency is the relative mobility of concrete and it is
measured using slump test; the greater the slump the
more mobile the mixture will be. Strength is the
capacity of concrete to resist compressive force. Water-
cement ratio is defined as the ratio of the weight of
water to the weight of cement and is considerably in-
control of the concrete strength. Durability is the
resistance of the concrete to different weather
conditions such as freezing and thawing, wetting and
drying, heating and cooling, deicing agents, chemicals,
and the like. Density is used to determine the weight of
the concrete. Also, it is applied for insulating sound.
There are four classes of proportions for 1m3 concrete
using 40kg of Portland cement. Class A has a proportion
of 1:2:3 and is applicable for beams, slabs, columns and
other members subjected to bending stress. Class B has
a proportion of 1:2:4 and is applicable for members not
reinforced for bending stress. Class C has a proportion
of 1:3:6 and is used for footing not under water. Lastly,
Class D has a proportion of 1:3.5:7 and is used for mass
concrete, machinery foundation and blinding. The
primary considerations in mix proportioning include:
the ability to continually meet or exceed specifications
(durability and strength), economy, and availability of
raw materials. Mix design and proportioning requires
the following selections: binder types, binder
percentages, aggregate types, aggregate gradation,
maximum aggregate size, workability,
water/cementitious materials ratio, target entrained
airvoid system, appropriate admixtures and dosage. The
purposes of mix design are: to 28 approximate the
design, to find the cost, to check the submitted design,
to prepare trial mixes, safe design, to achieve exact
design for safety and economy, for single-single
specifications, for multiple specification, to achieve
quality requirements, and comparison of performance
of materials or mixes. There several methods in mix
design and it is subdivided into two groups; old method
and new method. Fineness modulus method, Minimum
void method, Trial mixes, and Arbitrary method are
examples of Old mehods. While New method consists of
British method and ACI method. Nowadays, Old
methods are rarely used in mix design. British method
and ACI method are the known mix design methods
now.
RELATED STUDIES
Bagasse Fiber in Concrete Hollow Blocks
Bagasse Fiber is a natural fiber from sugarcane that is
recyclable and can be used for multiple purposes. It has
its tensile and elastic properties but compared coconut
fiber, it has greater amount of tensile strength.
Tensile Strength of Fiber-Reinforced Concrete
A similar study entitled, “A Study on the use of
Polypropylene Waste Fibers as Secondary
Reinforcement in Concrete”, proves that the tensile
strength of concrete increases when fiber is added to it.
Another reason stated by this study is that fibers do not
prevent cracking; instead, relatively high stresses are
carried by the fibers, thus, controlling the crack
propagation in the matrix.
Length of Fiber
It is necessary to have a large number of short fibers.
Furthermore, uniform distribution of short fibers can
increase the strength and ductility of the composite. On
the other hand, long fibers are needed to bridge discrete
macro cracks at higher loads.
Paper Sludge
A research has been done by Elvira Cabauatan-
Fernandez et. Al. used the raw material paper sludge
from Trust International Paper Corporation (TIPCO) in
Pampanga. The paper is entitled, “Production of
Cement-bonded boards from wastewater treatment
sludge of a recycled paper”. Their experiment on using
paper sludge in cement-bonded board proves that
sludge really has a good binding reaction with cement
which results to good bending strength. In the study
called “Papercrete”, paper itself is used as a mixing
material added to cement and water. Papercrete is now
used for panels and wall as block material, poured in
place, augured, pumped, sprayed, hurled, troweled on,
and used like igloo blocks. Since paper sludge is a
cellulose material, it is good to combine with cement
that will potentially result to a reasonable
reinforcement to concrete masonry mix.
Republic of the Philippines
CAMARINES SUR POLYTECHNIC
COLLEGES Nabua, Camarines Sur
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
of Related Literature and Studies
Bamboo
In peninsular Philippines, there are 62 species of
bamboo mostly from the genus of Dendrocalamus and
subfamily of Bambusa (Rivera). Bamboo, aptly called
the "poor man’s timber", is an alternative resource that
helps deal some of the problems affecting the majority
of the countries. At the same time, it is a significant
resource in the environment and plays a great role in
habitat protection as well as in country’s economic
development. Bamboos, which are perennial woody
grasses, can grow in a variety of ecological
environments, ranging from tropical lowland, highland,
from rain forest, deserts, and in many countries
throughout the world, especially in Asia, Africa and
Latin America. Bamboo’s material structure is similar to
wood, although no rays and other radial cell elements
exist, and hardly any knots are present.
A bamboo plant consists of a root system and several
culms (because bamboo is a grass, its ‘stem’ is called a
culm). Different from trees, the width of the culm is
already determined during its sprouting, and does not
increase in diameter afterwards. Bamboos can be
typified according to their root system into two types:
sympodial (pachymorph, commonly called ‘clumper’)
and monopodial (leptomorph,commonly called ‘runner’
(de Vos, 2010).
The study of Kassa (2009) discussed the potential
of bamboo as an alternative building material for low
cost housing units suitable for urban Ethiopia. It is a
multipurpose plant used for everything from food to
fuel and irrigation systems to construction. The rational
for the application of bamboo comes from its
abundance throughout the country, and its proven
physical properties that equate it to other building
material like timber, steel and concrete. His proposed
bamboo based design solution concentrates on
simplification of construction methods, prefabrication
of structural components and vertical densification of
housing units, addressing the lack of skilled labor, cost
of construction time and urban land respectively. An
understanding of the design solution was established by
constructing a full-scale section prototype and
performing laboratory tests on key structural
components.
The study of Wahab et al. evaluated the strength
properties, particularly the bending and the
compression of preservative treated 2- and 4-year-old
Gigantochloa scortechinii Gamble. The preservatives
used in the study were the ammoniacal-copper-
quarterary (ACQ), copper-chrome-arsenic (CCA) and
borax-boric acid (BBA). These preservatives were
applied to the bamboo at solution strengths of 2 and 4
% through vacuum impregnation process. The results
indicated that there were overall reductions in
strengths of the bamboo. The strength reduction ranged
from 5.0 to 10.7 % for ACQ, 4.4 to 10.3 % for BBA and
4.3 to 9.7 % for CCA treated bamboo. Reductions in the
strengths were found to be dependent on the type of
preservative applied, solution strengths used and their
retention in the treated bamboo. The utilization of
bamboo has a very long history in the world,
particularly in Asian countries but also in Africa and
Latin America. Especially where it was available as the
main plant and was used as a substitute for wood in
many cases
The study of Markos Alito (2005) was prepared
to assist field personnel in the design and construction
of bamboo reinforced construction mainly for low-cost
houses. The information in this study has been
compiled from laboratory tests. As in the case of other
timbers, the tensile strength along the grain is two or
more times the compressive strength. The low strength
in compression parallel to the grains as compared to the
strength in tension is mainly due to the collapse of the
cell walls and/or lateral bending of the cells and fibers.
The study also briefs the selection, preparation,
placement of bamboo for reinforcing the concrete. The
bond between bamboo reinforcement and the
surrounding concrete is studied by conducting bending
test and pull-out test and found to be satisfactory. Cost
comparison between steel and asphalt coated bamboo
is presented as per cost breakdown referring to the
present market assessment. As per cost analysis, use of
bamboo reinforcement is a better and economical
alternative in view of overall cost.
Physical and Mechanical Properties of Bamboo
The physical and mechanical properties of bamboo
depend on the species, site/soil and climatic condition,
cultural treatment, harvesting technique, age, density,
and moisture content, position in the culm, nodes or
internodes and bio-degradation. Many studies had been
carried out in order to highlight and observe these
fundamental characteristics, as well as to maximize
bamboo utilization. Comparing mechanical properties
of bamboo fiber with other engineering materials,
bamboo possesses excellent strength properties that
are as good as other building materials like steel,
concrete and timber (Janssen, 1985). The strength of
bamboos are associated with their anatomical structure
and composition particularly the fibers and
parenchyma. It relies to a large extend on the quantity
and quality of fibers. However, the strength of bamboo
varies with respect to species, age, moisture content
and position along the culm. An optimum strength
occurs when bamboo attained its maturity age of
around 3-4 years. For this reason bamboo are harvested
at this age especially for structural or other heavy-duty
uses. Compressive strength of the bamboo was found to
increase with height. While at the same time the
bending strength showed a decrease value. The
compressive and the bending strength also increased
from the inner part to the periphery of the culm wall.
Treating bamboo with preservative is intended to
increase the life span service of the bamboo and their
products. However, questions arise on whether the
treatments process will affect the strength properties of
the bamboo.
Characteristics of Bambusa Blumeana
Bambusa blumeana is native to the Philippines and
has a leafy branchlet with an enlarged top portion beset
with thorns. The base of the clump is densely set with
seemingly impenetrable spinybranches and branchlets.
The spiny branches hold the plant firmly during strong
winds, preventing the culms (poles) from lodging. The
culm is almost solid at the base and thick-walled to the
middle portion and can reach a diameter of 15 cm. The
internodes range from 5 cm long at the base to about 35
cm at the middle and top portions of the pole. A robust
culm can reach 20 m long. Bambusa blumeana is one of
the seven major species recommended for shoot
production in Yunan, China, and is still considered as
the best species for shoots in the Philippines (Rojo
1999). As a grass, it regenerates faster than wood, has a
very short growth cycle, and can be harvested 4 years
after planting. (Malab et al.)
Tensile Strength of Bamboo
Leake et al. found that bamboo fiber has equivalent
tensile strength of 650MPa with tensile strength of steel
(500- 1000MPa) and much higher flexibility determined
by lower Young’s modulus value of ~50GPa compared
to steel’s ~200GPa. Bamboo fiber material has specific
strength comparable with engineering alloys, ceramics,
and bone. In terms of weight-cost relation bamboo fiber
provides even better value than steel. For his work on
the composition of bamboo, Janssen concluded that an
increase in moisture content decreases compressive
strength and the compressive strength increases with
the height along the culm from which the sample was
taken (i.e.: compressive strength increases from the
bottom to the top of a culm). For shear stress, Janssen
state that the cause of failure for smaller spans, and the
limiting in situ shear stress is much lower than a typical
shear test would indicate. In bending, dry bamboo
behaves better; strength decreases with the height from
which the sample is taken from the culm (i.e.: flexural
strength decreases from the bottom to the top of a
culm); and there is a possible relationship between
ultimate bending stress and density and that shear
strength and density are related (Derek Randal Mitch).
In addition here, a few outcomes of the researches is
discussed in detail.

PHYSICAL_AND_MECHANI
CAL_PROPERTIES_OF_ba
mboo in concrete
structure
RELATED LITERATURE
Fabrication of Cement -bonded Particle Board
In the making of fiber composite, branches, twigs, log
ends of any wood species were chipped or shredded to
form excelsior historically bonded by magnesite cement
since 1930 (Maloney, 1977). The particle geometry,
wood-cement mixing ratio and the addition of chemical
accelerator or hardener generally formulated the basic
classification of fabricating Cement -bonded Particle
Board (CPB). Classification include wood-wool excelsior
boards, gypsum-bonded boards and cement -bonded
particleboards versatile to suit for low cost ceiling,
roofing, flooring, partitioning, cladding, shuttering,
walling.(Lee, 1991).Cement -bonded compared to resin
- bonded particleboard were highly resistant to fire
outbreak, insect attack, decay, quality of moulds, fungi
attack, low moisture uptake and swelling in water or
moisture and performance during natural disasters
such as earthquakes and tropical storms (Badejo, 1986;
Dinwoodie, et al., 1991).Durability, toughness, high
dimensional stability, resistance against environmental
influences such as biodegradation or weathering,
availability of the raw materials,economy were studied
for structural purposes (Frubor, RaimundMauritz,
Alfred Teischinger, and Ulrich Muller, 2008).These
included its mechanical and physical properties
inquiring bonding mechanisms, compatibility of cement
with composites, cement -composite ratio, effect of
accelerators, thicknessand treatment of modulus of
elasticity, modulus of rupture.
In response, our country through the DOST’s Forest
Products Research and Development Institute (FPRDI)
in College, Laguna, had examined research on the
utilization of other agricultural fibers for composite
panel production. Identified composite from coconut
coir (or husks), banana stalks(Ella et al., 1975),
pineapple fiber(Pablo, 1989) were blended with wood
waste or wood chips. They also investigated
lignocelluloses from wood, agricultural residues, water
plants, grasses, and other plant substances that contain
cellulose, hemicelluloses, and lignin. Modification of cell
wall polymers, extractives, and inorganic were the
lignocellulosic components that affected its properties.
With the finding that natural fiber reinforced
composites hadhigh moisture absorption, poor wetness
ability, and poor fiber-matrix adhesion enhancement
through hydrophilic fiber and hydrophobic matrix and
adding of chemical were applied. Acrylation addedin
bagasse fiber reinforced unsaturated polyester and
improved storage modulus, water absorption and glass
transition temperature of composites (Vilay, Mariatti,
Mat and Mitsugu, 2008). Chemical additives such as
synthetic adhesives enhancedcement setting, water
tightening and increase fungus resistance (Moslemi AA,
Francisco Garcia J, Hofstrand, 1983; Moslemi, 1989).
Calcium chloride, ferric chloride, ferric sulphate,
magnesium chloride and calcium hydroxidereduced
inhibitory effects of composites on the setting of
Portland cement (Sulastiningsih et al., 1998). The
addition of MgC12 to cement paste at a level of 2.5% of
the cement weight greatly improved the compatibility.
In this study 20 grams of calcium chloride would be
used for as cement enhancer.
Relative Abundance and Production of Bambusa
blumeana
A very rare literary inventory estimation of the
countries bamboo’s supply were found mostly of erect
bamboos (FRI-RP-German Project, 1988) at about 10
730 million linear meters, abundantly climbing
bamboos totaling 8,318 linear meters. Accordingly the
species Schizostachyumlimaaccounting27.2 million
culms and Schizostachyumlumampaoaccounting172.0
million culms were most plentiful and were naturally in
the forests. The Master Plan (1997) for the
development of bamboo as a renewable and sustainable
resource reported that there were 39,000 to 52,000 ha
of bamboo stand distributed as follows: 20,500 – 34,000
ha in the forest lands; 2,236 ha in government
plantation; 3,037 ha of privately-owned plantations;
and 13,455 ha of “natural stands”.
From 47 bamboo species recordedsince 1991it grew
today into 62 species due to the introduction of new
species most specially bambusetaby the Ecosystems
Research and Development Bureau (ERDB) in Baguio
City; Los Baños, Laguna; Nabunturan, Davao del Norte;
Malaybalay and Bukidnon including the efforts of
garden enthusiasts and private collectors.
Experimental Study of Cement
Stabilized Fiber Reinforced
Compressed Earth Blocks as
an Alternative Building Material
Claudia Zapata, Chair ,Edward
Kavazanjian ,Jaewon Jang
ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY
December 2016
RELATED LITERATURE
Role of Stabilized Earth Blocks in the Developing
Countries
Adequate housing is one of the basic need to lead a
peaceful and dignified life and also represents the
economic and social development of the country.
However, in developing countries it is challenging to
provide economical housing for working class people.
The hurdle for this housing problems are high cost of
land, construction materials and labor (Kabiraj and
Mandal 2012). Even though governments are coming up
with financial and housing schemes to help people get
house ownerships, it is not helping in any ways due to
the constant hike in construction cost. According to
United Nations Center for Human Settlements (UNCHS)
by 2030, about 40 percent of the world population will
require proper housing. Unfortunately, because of
limited resources in many developing countries, it is
necessary to work towards finding a way to reduce the
construction costs and move towards the development
of low-income housing (Adam and Agib 2009).
Furthermore, in response to the need for global
environmental changes and the importance of ensuring
environmental, social and economic sustainability, it is
critical to explore a sustainable building material. This
can be achieved by improving the traditional
construction techniques in which locally available
cheap materials is used. Moreover, the locally available
material must be renewable in nature. The usage of
these materials for producing construction materials
will contribute towards the development of the country
by generating local employment, reducing the import
and improving the standards of the rural and urban
people (Adam and Agib 2009). Earthen construction is
the one of the most popular construction technique
used since ages. Local soil is readily available and a
renewable material which suits aptly for the problems
discussed above (Kabiraj and Mandal 2012.
Fiber Reinforced Stabilized Earth Blocks
Fiber reinforced CSEB is defined as a technique to
improve the engineering characteristics of the soil
blocks. The concept of stabilizing the soil using natural
fibers was recognized 5000 years ago (Hejazi et al
2012). In earthen construction, hay and straw were
used to prepare adobe blocks to provide reinforcement.
The Great Wall of China was built by reinforcing the soil
with branches of trees. Vidal in 1966 demonstrated the
increase in shear resistance of soil with the introduction
of synthetic and plant fibers as reinforcement (Maity et
al. 2012). Since then, the concept of reinforcing the soil
with tensile element became famous in engineering
applications. Around 4000 structures have been built so
far using this technique (Hejazi et al. 2012). This
concept has attracted many researchers these days and
implementation in the geotechnical and construction
fields has been attempted. In recent days, synthetic
fibers are gaining more popularity than natural fibers.
However, due to environmental concerns, there are
experimental investigations and interest on the
application of natural fibers (Hejazi et al. 2012). The
performance of the natural fiber used depends on
several factors such as physical properties, chemical
properties, fiber interaction in the composite matrix
and environmental conditions (Rowell et al. 2000). It is
then necessary to assess the performance of natural
fibers in different applications. The coconut fibers, sisal
fiber, hemp, palm, jute, flax, barely straw, bamboo and
cane fibers are commonly used fibers based on
availability. Coconut are agricultural products grown
extensively in tropical countries. Coir are the strands of
fibers found in the husk of the coconut. Coir has high
lignin content which makes it strong and durable. In
2013, Aguwa found that the increase in coir content up
to 0.25% in laterite soil blocks contributed to 10%
increase in compressive strength when compared to
blocks without fibers. The CSEB blocks reinforced with
banana fibers of 50mm in length at 0.35% by weight,
lead to an increase in flexural and compressive strength
of the material by 94% and 77%, respectively, in
comparison to blocks which were not reinforced
(Mostafa and Uddin 2015). Four percent of Sisal fiber
inclusion slightly increased the compressive strength
(Ghavami et al. 1999); although Prabakar and Sridhar
(2002) found that with the increase in Sisal fiber
content, the dry density of the soil decreased. Taallah, et
al. (2014) investigated the mechanical properties of the
CSEBs filled with date palm fibers. From the results,
they noticed that blocks prepared using 0.05% of fibers
showed increase in strength by 6% compared to non-
filled blocks. Also increase in water absorption and
swelling of blocks was reported with increasing fiber
content. Kabiraj and Mandal (2012) found a decrease in
dry density and increase in water absorption of the
CSEB with addition of 2.5cm jute fibers. However, they
noticed a significant increase in compressive strength
by around 110% with the addition of 1% jute fibers.
Many studies show the usage of different plant fibers
affecting the physical
properties, decrease in dry density, and water
absorption with increase in fiber content. Nevertheless,
mechanical properties such as compressive strength
and ductility are improved with inclusion of fibers. Now
studies have been carried out on the usage of bagasse
fibers, from the guayule plant, in CSEB and the effect of
fibers on the blocks when subjected to wetting/drying
and heating/cooling cycles. Investigations are still
needed to attain more knowledge about the influence of
different natural fibers on the durability of the blocks
which can contribute towards obtaining the most
efficient material.
Fracture Toughness and
Strength of Bamboo-Fiber
Reinforced Laterite as
Building Block Material (june
2017)
Modern day building materials must be sustainable,
cheap, environmental friendly, durable and available.
Laterite reinforced with bamboo fiber was moulded
into blocks to determine the compressive strength,
flexural strength and fracture toughness using universal
tensile machine (UTM), while the elemental
composition was determined by EDS, SEM/Gwyddion
software were used to study the fractured surface of the
bamboo-fiber reinforced laterite (BFRL) block. Water
absorption test and bulk density were also carried out.
The blocks were moulded by varying the percent weight
(%wt) fraction of bamboo fiber from 0 to 25%. The
dimensions for the compressive and flexural samples
were 100 x 100 x 100 mm and 600 x 100 x 100 mm
respectively.
Materials and Methods
The experimental materials used in this study were
bamboo sticks, cement and laterite soils, which were
obtained from Oke-Ayedun, Ekiti State, Nigeria and
cement (25 kg) was obtained from an outlet in Ikole-
Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria, while Sodium hydroxide (500
g) was obtained from Bamboo sticks were mechanically
milled to small pieces using a mortar, after which the
bamboo fibers obtained were, soaked in sodium
hydroxide for 9 hours; this was to allow for removal of
lignin content, so as to provide proper interfacial
bonding between the matrix and the fibers. Thereafter,
the bamboo fibers were dried in the sun for a period of
14 days to allow complete removal of water. Laterite
sand was dug from Oke-Ayedun, a small town in Ekiti
State and was dried for 3 days; thereafter the lumps
were broken into small pieces and sieved using a sieve
size of 150 µm. Wooden
moulds were made of dimensions 100 x 100 x 100 mm
and 600 x 100 x 100 mm for compressive and flexural
samples respectively.
Mechanical Test
Compressive and flexural strength were determined by
a digital compression/bending universal testing
machine (UTM). The samples used for compressive test
were moulded to dimensions of 100 x 100 x 100 mm,
while those for flexural test were moulded to
dimensions of 600 x 100 x 100 mm.
Bulk Density
The bulk densities which were estimated for the
different samples are shown in figure 5. It can be
observed from the plot that there is a reduction in the
trend of the bulk density of the BFRL samples as the
bamboo fiber increases, this is as a result of the light
weight of the bamboo fibers, therefore as the bamboo
fibers increases the bulk density and the weight of the
BFRL block reduces. From the plot the minimum and
maximum bulk densities are estimated to be 1370 and
1700 kg/m3 at 25 and 0% bamboo fiber respectively.
Conclusions
The compressive strength of the bamboo fiber
reinforced laterite (BFRL) block increased from
2.0±0.100 to a maximum of 5.0±0.250 MPa for 0 to 25%
bamboo fiber addition. The sample with bamboo fiber
of 25% has fracture toughness and flexural strength of
1.70±0.085MPa√𝑚 and 2.25±0.113 MPa respectively.
The comparison between the control and other samples
with bamboo fiber showed that the presence of bamboo
fiber in the matrix acted as crack arrester to the laterite
based material. Optical and SEM images of the bamboo
fiber reinforced laterite block were studied and
analyzed using Gwyddion software to study the fracture
surface of the laterite based material, which showed
brittle fracture surface for sample without fibers and
ductile occurring in samples with fibers. EDS analysis
showed trace element such as Al, Si, Fe, Ca and C. The
water absorption of the BFRL block showed that the
minimum water absorption of 6% was obtained with
samples without bamboo fiber and a maximum of
11.4% at 25% bamboo fiber addition. However, it still
falls under the acceptable standard for conventional
building blocks. The bulk density was also ascertained
and it was noticed that as the weight percentage of
bamboo fiber increased there was a decrease in the bulk
density of the block. Results obtained from this studies
show that the bamboo fiber reinforced laterite block at
weight percentage of 25% can be used as building block
material, this work also provides a cheaper alternative
to building block material byreduction in the use of
cement for making of building blocks.
 Coarse Aggregates
A Study on Bamboo as a
Replacement of Locally available 10 mm and 20 mm crushed aggregates
have been used as coarse aggregates. A test for coarse
Aggregates in Self aggregates have been conducted as per provisions of IS:
383-1970 and IS: 2386-1963.
Compacting Concrete Pieces of bamboo
(MAY 2017) Bamboo fibres with size of varying length from 2 to 4
cm, breadth from 1 to 2 cm, and thickness of 1 cm is also
used as a partial replacement of coarse aggregate at the
replacement levels of 0%, 2%, 4% and 5%. The physical
Bamboo properties of all these materials were tested as per IS
383-1970.
is versatile resource characterized by high strength to
weight ratio and ease in working with simple tools.
Bamboo is the fastest growing, renewable natural
resource known to us. It is a small wonder, therefore,
that this material was used for building extensively by
our ancestors. It has a long and well established Bamboo Composite Materials
tradition as a building material throughout the tropical
and sub-tropical regions. It is used in many forms of
for Low-Cost Housing
construction, particularly, for housing in rural areas.
But, enough attention had not been paid towards
By:Trevor David Dagilis
research and development in bamboo as had been in Queen' s University Kingston,
the case with other materials of construction including
timber. Due to ecological materials and having many Ontario, Canada (September,
advantageous characteristics of bamboo, in the last few
years, studies have been made on bamboo as structural 1 999)
material and reinforcement in concrete. Bamboo has
great economic potential, especially in the developing
Bamboo is a lignocellulosic
countries, because it can be replenished within a very matenal identified by hollow
short time. A critical assessment of the present status
and future prospects of bamboo housing would be culms, branches at the nodes,
helpful in exploiting that potential.

Cement and a woody wall (Figure

In this study of self compacting concrete the use of OPC
14). Bamboos are identined
43 grade cement is carried out in the practice. OPC 43 by taxonomists as members
cement shall conform to IS:8112-1989 and the designed
strength of 28 days shall be minimum 43 MPa or 430 of the
kg/sqcm. Even though 43 Grade cements' early strength
is less as compared to that of 53 Grade, with time it will
attain the same ultimate strength as that of 53 Grade grass subfamily
cement. In the case of 43 Grade cement, the initial
setting of cement is slower as compared to 53 Grade
Bambusoidae, a tribe of the
cement. In other words, the hydration process and
consequently, the release of heat is moderate and
Gramineae. Bambusoid
therefore, occurrence of micro cracking is much less grasses are Mer
and can be easily controlled by proper curing of the
concrete / masonry work.
divided into c'woody" and
Fine Aggregates
'cherbaceuus" bambusoid
Locally available river sand is used as fine aggregate in grasses, the latter generally
the concrete mixes. A test for fine aggregates have been
conducted as per provisions of IS: 383-1970 and IS: have
2386-1963.
sofier culms, have shorter
life spans, and experience
less complex branching at
the nodes
(Soderstrom and Calderbn,
1979).
There are two distinct
varieties of bamboo, namely
sympodial and monopodial,
which
are easily identified by the
growth patterns of the root,
or rhizome (Austin et. al.
1970,
and Liese, 1985). In the case
of sympodial bamboos
(clumping bamboos as
shown in
Figure 1 S), culms shoot nom
the pachymorph rhizome
very close to the parent, or
mother culm. As additional
culms grow fiom a single
rhizome, a clump of bamboo
cuims
are situated closely together.
This growth mechanism is
largely found in tropical
regions