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Stream/Area:
-
Subject:
-
Paper ID:
IJSREM66764
Volume:
10 |
8 |
Aug 2026
Pages:
1-7
Publication Frequency:
Monthly (12 issues per year)
License:International Journal of Scientific Research in Engineering and Management follows the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0) License, allowing free use and distribution with proper attribution.
Civil Engineering
Nalla Malla Reddy Engineering College
Civil Engineering
Nalla Malla Reddy Engineering College
Civil Engineering
Nalla Malla Reddy Engineering College
Civil Engineering
Nalla Malla Reddy Engineering College
Sustainability and the utilisation of waste natural fibres in concrete has become a major focus of the construction industry. Coir fibre, obtained from coconut husk, is an abundant agricultural waste product that is eco-friendly and low in cost, but its untreated form suffers from high water absorption and poor fibre-matrix bonding. This study investigates the effect of alkali (NaOH) treated coir fibre on the compressive and flexural strength of M20 grade concrete. Coir fibre of 20 mm length was treated with NaOH solution and incorporated into concrete at 0.75%, 1.25% and 1.75% by weight of cement. Cube and beam specimens were cast and tested for compressive and flexural strength at 7, 14 and 28 days of curing, with supplementary readings recorded at 56 and 90 days to track longer-term strength development. The 1.25% coir fibre mix recorded the highest 28-day compressive strength (33.33 N/mm²) and flexural strength (4.22 N/mm²) among the dosages studied, outperforming the 0.75% mix by 6.7% and the 1.75% mix by 1.3% in compressive strength. Supplementary readings up to 90 days confirmed that this ranking was maintained over the longer term, with the 1.25% mix reaching approximately 44.7 N/mm² in compression and 5.08 N/mm² in flexure. The results indicate that alkali treatment is an effective, low-cost method of improving fibre-matrix compatibility, and that 1.25% is a practical optimum coir fibre dosage for M20 grade concrete, supporting the use of this agricultural waste material as a sustainable reinforcement in concrete.
KEYWORDS
Alkali (NaOH) treatment of coir fibre is confirmed as an effective, low-cost method of improving fibre-matrix compatibility in concrete. Compressive and flexural strength increased progressively with curing age for all three dosages studied, and among them, 1.25% alkali-treated coir fibre gave the best 28-day compressive strength (33.33 N/mm²) and flexural strength (4.22 N/mm²), outperforming the 0.75% mix by 6.7% and 3.3% respectively, and the 1.75% mix by 1.3% and 1.7% respectively. This ranking was maintained in supplementary readings up to 90 days, with the 1.25% mix reaching approximately 44.7 N/mm² in compression and 5.08 N/mm² in flexure, confirming that the optimum identified at 28 days is not specific to that test age alone. The comparatively flat response between 1.25% and 1.75% suggests that the decline beyond the optimum is gradual rather than abrupt, consistent with a fibre-clumping and workability-related mechanism rather than a fundamental incompatibility at higher dosage. The results support the use of alkali-treated coir fibre as a sustainable, low-cost reinforcement for M20 grade concrete, and future work should extend this evaluation to durability under aggressive exposure, alternative fibre lengths and alkali concentrations, hybrid natural-fibre systems, and structural-scale members.
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Publication Date
8/14/2026
Peer Review Type
Double-Blind Peer Review
Review Rounds: 2
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