Experimental Study on Palm Fibers Effectiveness for Sustainable Geotechnical Works

Abstract

The construction sector in the middle eastern region has been poised towards a rapid growth period in recent years. Owing to an abundance of date palm trees in the area, replacing ordinary concrete with a geopolymer and natural palm fiber-based material can be potentially considered as an eco-friendly construction alternative. This study focused on utilizing fly ash and slag blended GeoCement to produce geopolymer concrete without fibers, palm GeoCrete with palm fibers, and master GeoCrete with synthetic master fibers. The mix design preparations were in accordance with locally produced concrete in Dubai. Additionally, to explore the effectiveness of palm fibers on the resultant blends, their key properties were compared to traditional Portland Cement concrete mixes. The tests were inclusive of fresh and hard concrete tests to assess their performance. The GeoCrete blends achieved acceptable density and air content values. The addition of palm fibers to GeoCrete caused a reduction in porosity and void percentage. The resultant data clearly indicated that GeoCrete, Palm GeoCrete, and Master GeoCrete are feasible for usage in various ground conditions and geotechnical applications.