OIL PALM TRUNK FIBER AS A BIO-WASTE RESOURCE FOR CONCRETE REINFORCEMENT

This paper reported the investigation on the potential of oil palm trunk fiber as concrete reinforcement by determining the physical, mechanical and chemical composition of the fiber and also the effect of different volume percentages of oil palm trunk fiber (OPTF) on the physical, mechanical and durability properties of Grade 30 concrete. Oil palm trunk fiber was found to possess high tensile strength (300-600 N/mm2), high density (1200kg/mm3) and high content of lignin (23.03%). Hence OPTF is suitable as reinforcement. The compressive, tensile and flexural strength properties of the concrete improved by the addition of 1% OPTF and the OPTF have acted as crack arrester. The low dosage of OPTF improves the resistant against NaOH and NaCl attack but concrete with high dosage of OPTF have good resistance against the HCl attack