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A i




Effects of Ceiba Pentandra (Kapok) Fruit Shell as
Fiber Reinforcement on Concrete








by
Marlon Dave P. Brucal
Albert Ferdinand G. Carreon
Micah Javier







A Thesis Submitted to the School of Civil, Environmental and Geological
Engineering in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of
Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering





Mapua Institute of Technology
August 2014



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ABSTRACT
Many countries are studying different natural fibers that are abundant in their country
to incorporate in the concrete mixture. Plain concrete is basically strong in tension and
shear. Synthetic fibers were being added to the concrete mixture to improve its
mechanical properties. The main objective of this study is to provide record that
natural fiber, kapok fruit shell fiber, can be useful in the development and innovation
of new concrete technology. The study will be supported by experimentations, tests, and
researches in order to determine the effects of Kapok fruit shell fiber to the concrete.


KEYWORDS: Concrete, Kapok, FRC, NFRC















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CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION





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Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION
Concrete is most widely used in the construction industry. It is one of the most
necessary construction materials. It has been part of everyday life of a civil engineer and
plays the role of developing and improving our modern society.
Concrete is an engineering material, made of binder and filler, which stimulate the
properties of rock. Because of its convenience, it is not only used in building vertical
structures like buildings. It could also be used in the construction of roads and pavements,
bridges, dams, ports and many more.
Researchers all over the world are continuously studying and researching in developing
the technology of concrete, and Filipinos are one of those contributing to the said activity.
Philippines is abundant natural resources, may it be on water or land. It has been part of the
livelihood of every Filipinos. Millions of hectares of plantations can be found in the different
parts of the Philippines.
One of those natural resources is the plant called kapok or silk-cotton tree. Kapok fruit is
being harvested and cultivated. Industries extract the seed hair of the fruit. This seed hair is
called kapok fiber. Kapok fiber was used an alternative to down as filling in mattresses,
pillows, upholstery, zafus, and stuffed toys such as teddy bears and also for insulation.
Unfortunately, those livelihoods also contribute to the increasing volume of waste generated
from day to day. The shell part of the kapok fruit, after extracting the seed and fiber from it,
serves nothing except from being part of the remainder or residue.
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Since the Philippines is one of the countries using concrete in mostly of the construction,
these kapok shells may be turned into something useful. Concrete is brittle and high in
compression strength, but poor in tensile strength. The fiber from the shell of kapok fruit can
be added to the concretes mechanical properties.

1.1 The Problem and its Background
Concrete is one of the main components in building structures. It has relatively high
compressive strength, but significantly lower tensile strength, and such is usually reinforced
with materials that are strong in tension. The elasticity of concrete is relatively constant at
low stress levels but starts decreasing at higher stress levels as matrix cracking develop.
There are Different kinds of reinforcements being used to enhance the strength of the
concrete. Steel reinforcements are used to improve the tensile strength and brittleness of
concrete.
The concept of using fibers to improve the characteristics of construction materials is
very old. Early applications include addition of straw to mud bricks, horse hair to reinforce
plaster and asbestos to reinforce pottery. Use of continuous reinforcement in concrete
(reinforced concrete) increases strength and ductility, but requires careful placement and
labor skill. Alternatively, introduction of fibers in discrete form in plain or reinforced
concrete may provide a better solution.

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1.2 Statement of the problem
This study will answer these specific questions:
1.) What is the effect of Kapok Fruit Shell fiber on the concrete?
2.) What are the differences in terms of strength in plain concrete and concrete
containing Kapok Fruit Shell Fiber?
3.) What is the most suitable amount of the kapok fiber on the concrete mixture?
4.) How will Kapok Fiber enhance the compressive strength, flexural strength and elastic
modulus of the concrete?

1.3 Objectives of the study

The main objective of the study is to assess the effects of Kapok Fruit Shell Fiber in concrete
structures. Specifically, this study aims to:
a.) To determine the effects of Kapok Fruit Shell Fiber on the compressive strength, flexural
strength, and elastic modulus of concrete.
b.) To determine the right amount of kapok fruit shell fiber that will be mixed with the
concrete mixture.
c.) To produce a fiber reinforced concrete that is of higher strength compared to that of a
plain concrete.
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1.4 Significance of the study
This experimental research will provide the effects of adding Kapok shell fiber on the
concrete mix and will be of big contribution to different individuals and group of people.

For academic purposes, this study will serve as a reference, learning guide, and
additional information for different studies regarding Fiber reinforced concrete and mixing
concrete with Kapok fruit shell fiber.
For the society, this will be significant in a country where Kapok is abundant like the
Philippines.
For the future researchers, this will be a guide for them to conduct extensive studies
regarding the addition of fiber to concrete as reinforcement.

1.5 Scopes and limitation
This study is conducted to determine the effects of Kapok Fruit Shell Fiber when
added with concrete. It limits its scope to physical research of the compressive strength,
Flexural Strength, and Elastic Modulus of concrete. Specifically, it aims to determine the
compressive strength, flexural strength, and elastic modulus of the concrete containing
Kapok Fruit shell fibers and assess if there is significant change in the properties of the
concrete mixture. It also aims to determine the most effective amount of Kapok fruit shell
fiber that will enhance the concrete.

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CHAPTER 2
REVIEW COMPONENT










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Chapter 2
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
2.1 Related Literature
Applications of Fiber-Reinforced Concrete
Fiber-reinforced polymer composites have a wide range of applications in civil engineering
due to its high strength-to-weight ratio and high corrosion resistance (Teng, 2007). Fiber-
reinforced polymer confinement can enhance both the compressive strength and ultimate
strain of concrete significantly. The paper presented by the author displays a new stress-strain
model for FRP-confined concrete in which the responses of the concrete core and the FRP
jacket as well as their interaction are considered. This is important for the thesis as this
displayed the behavior of concrete with fiber reinforcements. Another, strengthening
concrete girders with fiber-reinforced polymers is becoming a common practice as more
investigations seem to favor the technique. However, fatigues in pre-stressed concrete beams
were yet to be evaluated (Larson, 2005). This journal showed the widening range of use of
fiber reinforcements, but there are still some properties that are not yet tested.
There have been various studies done to different kinds of reinforced concrete. In one study
that deals with Lightly Reinforced Concrete, here on referred to as LRC, was studied
(Izzudin, 2004). Their studies mostly used one-dimensional models because they observed
that these models provided important insights to failures that occur in the slabs. The most
prominent observations seen during the experiment were the degradation of material
properties such as the steel, concrete, and bonds used in the LRC. Another thing observed
with LRCs is the difference of the possible reaction of the entire structure when under
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different kind of axial support. A higher support causes the beam to buckle first when it
experiences an increase in temperature. But if there is a rather low axial support then the
beam experiences bending first before it buckles.
These studies conducted on LRC can also be observed with regular Reinforced Concrete
because LRCs are also made of the same elements as RCs except for the difference in the
amount of reinforcements applied on the two. But since the two beams are almost identical in
design then most of degradation in elements can also be observed in regular RC. With this
assumption, we can say that the failure observed in steel is delayed if its strain hardening is
higher (Izzudin, 2004).
Fibers are distributed throughout the sample volume; hence, applying reinforcement
anywhere in the sample matrix. With this, fiber reinforced concrete is an efficient tool if
placing reinforcing bars is difficult. Although it is efficient for concrete tensile strength, fiber
reinforced concrete is not highly effective in increasing concrete compressive strength. The
study involves the analysis of compressive and tensile strength of NFRC before and after
exposure to fire.

Natural Fiber Reinforcements
Hemp fiber has a strong tensile strength and strong resistance to alkali. These properties
make a good use of hemp as fiber reinforcement. A study conducted in Australia analyzed
the effects of unspecified hemp fiber considering different controlled variables such as
Aggregate Size, Fiber Content, and Fiber Length. The test was also done in two types of mix
(wet and dry). It was analyzed that the Fiber Content generated the greatest change in
compressive, tensile, and flexure strength. The tests were done in 0%, 0.18%, 0.36%, and
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0.60% volume fraction of Hemp. The maximum compressive strength, flexure, toughness,
and specific gravity were obtained at 0.36%. It is noticeable that there is a sudden decline in
values of strength beyond 0.36% hemp content (0.5% volume fraction). The test also
generated the greatest strength at wet type of mix; this may be due to the stronger bond
generated between fiber and concrete (Li et al, 2006).
Coconut Fiber is one of the main agriculture products of South East Asian countries like
Thailand, Vietnam, and Philippines. It is a good study to utilize the effects of this natural
fiber to engineering applications such as concrete natural reinforcement. A recent study
conducted in Pakistan identified the applications of coconut fiber as concrete reinforcement.
The tests were done in 1%, 2%, and 3% volume fraction of Coconut Coir. The maximum
compression strength, tensile strength, and toughness were obtained at 1% VF. The data
showed a great decline in strengths at 2% VF. According to the study, Coconut Fiber Boards
can replace construction materials such as tiles, bricks, and plywood (Ali, 2011).
The use of rice husk as fiber reinforcement has been proven effective in improving tensile
strength of concrete. A recent study in India was conducted using Rice Husk as
Reinforcement in Concrete T Beam. The Rice Husks were soaked in silica fume for 2 hours
to improve the durability of the fiber. The tests were done in 0%, 1%, and 1.5% volume
fraction of Rice Husks. It was identified that all test properties (Compression, Tension,
Flexure, Elasticity, Shear, and Impact Energy) resulted to highest value in 1.5% volume
fraction. It was identified that failure of composite beams creates multiple cracking before
failure unlike controlled concrete which creates sudden failure. The experiment determined
that rice husk enhance the overall strength of concrete (Sivaraja, 2011).
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The optimal volume fractions obtained from the studies of natural fiber reinforced concrete
were implemented in the study. The optimal value for abaca is 0.5% volume fraction. The
optimal value for coconut coir is 1.0% volume fraction. The optimal value for rice husk is
1.5% volume fraction. The optimal value sets the peak strength (compressive and tensile) of
fiber reinforced concrete.

















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CHAPTER 3
METHODOLOGY






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Chapter 3
METHODOLOGY
3.1 Research Design
The research design of the study aims to assess the strength of concrete when it
reinforced by natural fiber. The scope of the study involves the selected natural fiber
abundant in the Philippines: Kapok/Cotton. The factors involved in the study are: Fiber Type
and Fiber Content. The mix design was made consistent all throughout the samples to
maintain the relatedness to controlled sample. Also, the time for curing was kept at constant
to establish a strong relation between different NFRC samples. Generally, the data not
involved in the study were secured at a constant in order to maintain the relatedness of each
concrete sample. The data were interpreted through the graph provided from the UTM.
The fiber used has different strengths to that of the plain concrete. If this fiber will have the
higher tensile strength, it is more ideal to use it as reinforcement to concrete, since concrete is
weak in tension and needs reinforcement to aid tensile stress.









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3.2 Conceptual Framework
The conceptual framework contains the factors that will be considered in the study
and the possible actions to approach when performing a certain topic in the research. In this
framework, the research would like to assess the compressive and flexural strength natural
fiber reinforced concrete. The study will deal with the volume fraction of natural fiber. The
volume fraction will be dependent on the kind of natural fiber used for that sample. The
volume fraction varies so the optimum strength can be acquired for the reinforced concrete.
This study aims to identify the compressive and flexural strength of concrete after being
reinforced by natural fibers by comparing the results of the samples with the plain concrete
samples. Figure 1 shows the conceptual framework of the study.




















FIGURE 1. Conceptual Framework
Strength Test
(Compressive & Flexural)
Concrete NFRC Natural
fiber