Rawan Ramadan

The building structure faces the dual challenge of CO₂ emission reduction and performance/sustainability improvement of construction materials. In this respect, in recent times, interest in the incorporation of natural fibers into cementitious systems has been rising as a promising route for attaining these objectives. This paper investigates the effects of adding Phragmites-Australis (Ph-A) fibers on the properties of flexural and compressive strength and length change, including chemical shrinkage, drying shrinkage, and expansion, of cement mortar when exposed to elevated temperature (45°C). Ph-A fibers were added by volume of mix with different percentages of 0, 0.5, 1 and 2%. Furthermore, a maturity equation was used for the prediction of shrinkage behavior including ultimate shrinkage, time scale factors, and hydration rates. Experimental results revealed that the addition of 1% Ph-A fibers significantly improved flexural and compressive strength while density decreased with increasing fiber content. Besides, the addition of 2% Ph-A fibers reduced chemical shrinkage by 25%, autogenous shrinkage by 12.4%, drying shrinkage by 17.8%, and expansion by 14.9% compared to the control mix. The maturity equation presented very good agreement with the experimental data, confirming its reliability in shrinkage predictions. These results put into evidence the potential of Ph-A fibers to enhance the mechanical and dimensional performance of cement mortar, offering a sustainable solution for reducing environmental impact and advancing durable construction materials.

Purpose: This study investigates the influence of alkali-treated Phragmites australis (PA) biofibers with varying lengths and contents on the mechanical and shrinkage properties of cement mortar composites, contributing to the development of sustainable and durable construction materials. Design/methodology/approach: Mortar specimens were prepared by incorporating PA fibers at three lengths (2 cm, 3 cm, and 4 cm) and four volume fractions (0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, and 2%). The samples were cured for 90 days. Key properties evaluated included compressive strength, flexural strength, density, ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV), autogenous shrinkage, drying shrinkage, and expansion. A comparative analysis was performed to identify the optimal fiber configuration. Findings: The results demonstrated that fiber length and content significantly affect mortar performance. Specifically, 2 cm fibers enhanced flexural strength and drying shrinkage resistance. It achieved an increase of 16% and a decrease of 20.16% compared to the control mix, respectively. However, 4 cm fibers were most effective in controlling autogenous shrinkage and expansion, where they recorded a decrease of 25.2 and 24.5%, respectively, compared to the control mix. The 3 cm fibers contributed positively to compressive strength, density, and UPV. An optimal fiber content of 1% was identified, offering the best balance between strength and durability. Excessive fiber content negatively impacted performance due to weak fiber-matrix bonding. Originality/value: This research highlights the feasibility of using alkali-treated biofibers as reinforcement in cementitious composites, offering insights into fiber-matrix interactions and long-term performance, which are critical for advancing eco-friendly construction technologies.

Rammed earth blocks have recently gained substantial popularity in construction materials due to their environmental benefits, energy saving, and financial effectiveness. These benefits are even more pronounced if waste materials such as olive waste ash (OWA) are incorporated in rammed earth blocks. There is limited information on the use of OWA in rammed earth blocks. This paper investigates the use of OWA and cement in improving rammed earth block characteristics. OWA was incorporated to partially replace the soil by 10, 20, 30 and 40% of its weight and cement was added in percentages of 2, 4, 6 and 8% by the dry weight of the composite soil. Proctor, unconfined compressive strength (UCS), and California Bearing Ratio (CBR) tests were performed at 7, 28, and 56 days. Results indicated that OWA inclusion decreased the maximum dry density while it increased the optimum moisture content. However, cement addition improved the maximum dry density of soil. The UCS results revealed that OWA possessed cementitious and pozzolanic behavior, and soil mechanical properties improved by up to 30% due to OWA inclusion, after which there was a significant drop of 40%. The trend in the CBR results was similar to those of UCS. To further clarify the experimental results, a mathematical model was proposed to determine the variation in strength as a function of time. Furthermore, correlations between soil mechanical properties were conducted. Predicted equations were developed to determine the properties of rammed earth block. All in all, the inclusion of OWA in cement stabilized earth block suggests the potential to improve the properties of rammed earth blocks.

The utilization of bio-fiber materials in building components has become imperative for improving sustainability, controlling global warming, addressing environmental concerns, and enhancing concrete properties. This study is part of a wide-range investigation on the use of Phragmites-Australis (PhA) fibers in construction and building materials. In this paper, the volume stability and mechanical properties of paste containing PhA fibers and exposed to high temperatures were investigated. Four mixes were made with 0, 0.5, 1, and 2% fibers by volume. To evaluate the volume stability and mechanical properties, the chemical shrinkage, autogenous shrinkage, drying shrinkage, expansion, ultrasonic pulse velocity, compressive strength, and flexural strength were tested. The curing duration and temperature were 180 days and 45 °C, respectively. The results indicated that an addition of PhA fibers of up to 2% resulted in a reduction in all the shrinkage parameters at 180 days. The presence of PhA fibers in the paste tended to reduce the compressive strength, with the lowest value observed at 2%. Apart from the values at 90 days, the optimal flexural strength seemed to be achieved by the paste with 1% PhA fibers. To further elucidate the experimental results, a hyperbolic model was employed to predict the variation in the length change as a function of the curing age with a high accuracy. Based on the results obtained, PhA fibers can play a crucial role in mitigating the shrinkage parameters and enhancing the mechanical properties of cement paste.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to check the feasibility of using biomaterial such as of Phragmites-Australis (PA) in cement paste to achieve sustainable building materials.Design/methodology/approach: In this study, cement pastes were prepared by adding locally produced PA fibers in four different volumes: 0%, 0.5%, 1% and 2% for a duration of 180 days. Bottles and prisms were subjected to chemical shrinkage (CS), drying shrinkage (DS), autogenous shrinkage (AS) and expansion tests. Besides, prism specimens were tested for flexural strength and compressive strength. Furthermore, a mathematical model was proposed to determine the variation length change as function of time.Findings: The experimental findings showed that the mechanical properties of cement paste were significantly improved by the addition of 1% PA fiber compared to other PA mixes. The effect of increasing the % of PA fibers reduces the CS, AS, DS and expansion of cement paste. For example, the addition of 2% PA fibers reduces the CS, expansion, AS and DS at 180 days by 36%, 20%, 13% and 10%, respectively compared to the control mix. The proposed nonlinear model fit to the experimental data is appropriate with R2 values above 0.92. There seems to be a strong positive linear correlation between CS and AS/DS with R2 above 0.95. However, there exists a negative linear correlation between CS and expansion.Research limitations/implications: The PA used in this study was obtained from one specific location. This can exhibit a limitation as soil type may affect PA properties. Also, one method was used to treat the PA fibers.Practical implications: The utilization of PA fibers in paste may well reduce the formation of cracks and limit its propagation, thus using a biomaterial such as PA in cementitious systems can be an environmentally friendly option as it will make good use of the waste generated and enhance local employment, thereby contributing toward sustainable development.Originality/value: To the authors best knowledge, there is hardly any research on the effect of PA on the volume stability of cement paste. Therefore, the research outputs are considered to be original.

In this research, the investigation focuses on the influence of Phragmites-Australis (PA) fibers on the mechanical properties and volume stability of mortar. A total of four mixtures were employed with varying amounts of locally sourced PA fibers ranging from 0.5% to 2% (by volume). Testing includes flexural strength, compressive strength, chemical shrinkage, drying shrinkage, autogenous shrinkage, and expansion. The findings show that the use of PA fibers caused a reduction in compressive and flexural strength. However, beyond 3 days of curing, an increase in flexural strength ranging from 7 to 21% was observed at 1% PA fiber compared to the control sample. Furthermore, the addition of PA fibers up to 2% effectively mitigates the dimensional stability of mortar samples. A gradual decrease in chemical, autogenous, and drying shrinkage as well as expansion occurs in mortar samples when % of PA fibers increases. At 180 days, this reduction was 37, 19, 15 and 20% in chemical shrinkage, autogenous shrinkage, drying shrinkage, and expansion, respectively, for a mix containing 2% PA fiber. Additionally, a hyperbolic model is proposed to predict the variation of length change with time. Also, a strong relationship is observed between chemical shrinkage and other length change parameters. Consequently, the environmentally friendly utilization of PA fibers demonstrates its potential to significantly enhance mortar durability in construction applications.

Chemical shrinkage (CS) is an intrinsic parameter that may affect the early age cracking of paste, mortar and concrete. It is well known as the driving force of self-desiccation, autogenous shrinkage (AGS) and drying shrinkage. During the first stage of cement hydration (at the initial setting time), the CS and AGS are equal. In the hardened stages, there is a difference in values between the two shrinkage parameters. This paper is a comprehensive review on CS and AGS, measurement techniques, modeling and prediction of different cementitious systems. Based on the various experimental studies, chemical shrinkage depends on the water to binder ratio (w/b) and is proportional to the degree of hydration. A low w/b ratio leads to high CS and AGS. The composition of cement has an effect on both CS and AGS. Also, incorporating supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) affects both shrinkage parameters. It is concluded that adding fly ash (FA) to concrete contributes to CS and AGS reductions. However, this is not the case when concrete contains slag. More than 170 references were consulted including 35 which were published after 2020. According to the authors knowledge, there is no published work on the effect of fibers, especially bio-fibers, on the chemical shrinkage of cement-based composites. Therefore, in addition to traditional chemical shrinkage of cementitious systems, this review includes a section on recent papers conducted by the authors on the effect of bio-fibers on the chemical shrinkage of cement composites.

The construction industry has seen a growing emphasis on the use of sustainable materials in recent years. This is driven by various factors, including a desire to reduce environmental impact, improve indoor air quality, and promote the health and well-being of building occupants. One sustainable material that is being increasingly utilized in construction is natural fibers. Phragmites australis fibers, in particular, are renewable, biodegradable, and have a low carbon footprint. The present study aims to evaluate the impact of Phragmites australis fibers on the behavior of reinforced concrete beams. Five concrete mixes were utilized in the experiment, with the control mix having a 1:1.5:3 ratio of cement to sand to coarse aggregate by weight. The other four mixes incorporated Phragmites australis fibers at 0%, 0.5%, 1%, and 1.5% of the volume of the mix, with cement replaced by 10% glass by weight. The water-to-cement ratio was set at 0.4 for all mixes. Concrete cubes, cylinders, and prisms were prepared to determine mechanical and physical properties, while reinforced concrete beams were used to assess structural performance. The results of the experiment showed that the addition of Phragmites australis fibers slightly decreased the compressive and tensile strength of the concrete compared to the control mix. However, the inclusion of 0.5% Phragmites australis fibers enhanced the split tensile and flexural strength of the concrete. In terms of reinforced concrete beams, the maximum load-bearing capacity was realized for the mix with 10% glass and 0% Phragmites australis fibers. However, the highest ductility index and deflection were achieved for the mix with 10% glass and 0.5% Phragmites australis fibers. Therefore, the use of Phragmites australis fibers can improve the structural performance of concrete.

Nowadays, hot weather is an essential motivator that leads concrete to lose its special characteristics. The high loss of moisture by evaporation and rapid hardening encourage the cracking potential and placement operations. The fresh mixed and hardened concrete tend to be damaged due to several conditions such as: high concrete temperature, High ambient temperature, low relative humidity, and high wind speed. These circumstances accelerate the rate of moisture loss and cement hydration. This article briefly reviews hot weather concreting problems precautions, and curing methods and also discusses the role of incorporation SCMs in reducing the temperature of concrete and enhancing its mechanical and durability performance.