Sustainable fiber-reinforced concrete: assessing pineapple leaf fiber as a green reinforcement material

Concrete, the most widely utilised building material, possesses brittle characteristics, exhibiting much higher compressive strength than tensile strength. The conventional method to enhance concrete’s tensile strength involves reinforcing it with continuous or discontinuous fibers. This study aims to contribute to sustainable development by incorporating discarded natural pineapple leaf fiber (PLF) as a reinforcing agent. The investigation explored the effects of incorporating 1%, 2%, 3%, and 4% PLF in concrete and compared them with a control concrete mix without PLF. Results indicate that the optimal performance is achieved with a 2% PLF dosage, resulting in a 54.28% increase in splitting tensile strength and a 10.29% improvement in compressive strength compared to the control mix. Moreover, the flexural strength experiences the most significant enhancement at 7.05% with 2% PLF. As the concentration of natural PLF rises, workability and density substantially decrease. PLF contributes to ductility, enabling concrete to resist impact. Scanning Electron Microscopy tests reveal that concrete with a 2% fiber content exhibits superior cement and aggregate bonding with the least amount of cracks. This study underscores the cost-effectiveness and sustainability of concrete with the optimal fiber dosage.