Experimental Study on the Strength Behavior of Concrete Reinforced with Cornhusk Fiber

• Iselobhor Vincent Ikhine

  Department of Engineering and Computer Science , McNeese State University

• Firouz Rosti

  Department of Engineering and Computer Science , McNeese State University

• Farid Hossienpour

  Department of Engineering and Computer Science , McNeese State University

• Vijaya Gopu

  Department of Civil Engineering , University of Louisiana at Lafayette

• Samuel Cooper

  Louisiana Transportation Research Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70808. , Baton Rouge General

Concrete is widely recognized as one of the most durable construction materials; however, it is often exposed to harsh environmental conditions that can compromise its mechanical performance. This experimental study evaluated and compared the mechanical properties of fiber-reinforced concrete incorporating cornhusk fiber (CHF) and glass fiber (GF) under varying loads and environmental exposures. Three levels of CHF (0.5%, 1.0%, and 1.5% by mass of cementitious material) and an optimized GF dosage (0.1% by volume of concrete) were examined. Concrete cylinder specimens were cast and monitored for structural performance over 75 and 150 days under two exposure conditions: laboratory-controlled (in-lab) and natural outdoor environments. The mechanical properties assessed included compressive strength and splitting tensile strength. The findings indicated that concrete reinforced with 0.1% GF (GFRC) exhibited the highest 28-day compressive strength among all samples. Among CHF-reinforced concrete (CHFRC) mixtures, the 0.5% CHF dosage demonstrated superior 28-day compressive strength compared to other CHFRC mixtures. Over time, the 0.5% CHFRC mixture consistently exhibited the highest strength gains under both in-lab and outdoor conditions. In the context of tensile strength testing, GFRC (0.1%) exhibited optimal performance at the 28-day mark. However, among the CHFRC samples, the 1.5% CHFRC mixture demonstrated the highest splitting tensile strength at the 28-day interval. At the 150-day mark of outdoor exposure, the 0.5% CHFRC mixture surpassed all other specimens, including GFRC, thereby underscoring its remarkable long-term performance under natural environmental conditions. These findings underscore the potential of 0.5% CHFRC for practical applications, offering an optimal balance of durability and mechanical strength, particularly under prolonged exposure to environmental stresses.

ACI Commite 544.3R-08. (2008). Guide for specifying , proportioning , and production of fiber-reinforced concrete. American Concrete Institute, 1–16.

Ahmad, J., Arbili, M. M., Majdi, A., Althoey, F., Farouk Deifalla, A., & Rahmawati, C. (2022). Performance of concrete reinforced with jute fibers (natural fibers): A review. Journal of Engineered Fibers and Fabrics, 17. https://doi.org/10.1177/15589250221121871

Ahmad, J., González-Lezcano, R. A., Majdi, A., Ben Kahla, N., Deifalla, A. F., & El-Shorbagy, M. A. (2022). Glass Fibers Reinforced Concrete: Overview on Mechanical, Durability and Microstructure Analysis. Materials, 15(15), 5111. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15155111

Ahmad, W., Farooq, S. H., Usman, M., Khan, M., Ahmad, A., Aslam, F., Yousef, R. Al, Abduljabbar, H. Al, & Sufian, M. (2020). Effect of Coconut Fiber Length and Content on Properties of High Strength Concrete. Materials, 13(5), 1075. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13051075

ASTM International. (2000). ASTM C192 Standard Practice For Making and Curing Concrete Test Specimens in The Laboratory | PDF | Construction Aggregate | Concrete.

ASTM International. (2004). ASTM C496/C496M-04 - Standard Test Method for Splitting Tensile Strength of Cylindrical Concrete Specimens. https://www.astm.org/c0496-96.html

ASTM International. (2018). ASTM C39/C39M-18 - Standard Test Method for Compressive Strength of Cylindrical Concrete Specimens. https://webstore.ansi.org/standards/astm/astmc39c39m18

ASTM International, ASTM C1116/C1116M-10a(2015) - Standard Specification for Fiber-Reinforced Concrete. (n.d.). https://standards.iteh.ai/catalog/standards/astm/385063e9-f77b-4986-a54a-b4f807612815/astm-c1116-c1116m-10a2015?srsltid=AfmBOopNyZgo61iey9qyAyMXcqP-_p30gmp_Jwl9ejqfZIo_SIb6BzpQ

Aziz, M., Paramasiuam, P., & Lee, S. L. (1987). Natural fibre reinforced concretes in low-cost housing construction. Journal of Ferrocement, 17(3).

Babalola, O. E., Awoyera, P. O., Le, D.-H., & Bendezú Romero, L. M. (2021). A review of residual strength properties of normal and high strength concrete exposed to elevated temperatures: Impact of materials modification on behaviour of concrete composite. Construction and Building Materials, 296, 123448. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2021.123448

Bittner, C. M., & Oettel, V. (2022). Fiber Reinforced Concrete with Natural Plant Fibers—Investigations on the Application of Bamboo Fibers in Ultra-High-Performance Concrete. Sustainability, 14(19), 12011. https://doi.org/10.3390/su141912011

Chandramouli, K., Srinivasa Rao, P., Seshadri Sekhar, T., Pannirselvam, N., & Sravana, P. (2010). Strength Properties of Glass Fibre Concrete. ARPN Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences , 5(4). https://www.arpnjournals.com/jeas/volume_04_2010.htm

Chandrasekar, M., Ishak, M. R., Sapuan, S. M., Leman, Z., & Jawaid, M. (2017). A review on the characterisation of natural fibres and their composites after alkali treatment and water absorption. Plastics, Rubber and Composites, 46(3), 119–136. https://doi.org/10.1080/14658011.2017.1298550

Chokshi, S., Parmar, V., Gohil, P., & Chaudhary, V. (2022). Chemical Composition and Mechanical Properties of Natural Fibers. Journal of Natural Fibers, 19(10), 3942–3953. https://doi.org/10.1080/15440478.2020.1848738

El-Zohairy, A., Hammontree, H., Oh, E., & Moler, P. (2020). Temperature Effect on the Compressive Behavior and Constitutive Model of Plain Hardened Concrete. Materials, 13(12), 2801. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13122801

Erdem, S., Dawson, A. R., & Thom, N. H. (2011). Microstructure-linked strength properties and impact response of conventional and recycled concrete reinforced with steel and synthetic macro fibres. Construction and Building Materials, 25(10), 4025–4036. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2011.04.037

Faruk, O., Bledzki, A. K., Fink, H.-P., & Sain, M. (2014). Progress Report on Natural Fiber Reinforced Composites. Macromolecular Materials and Engineering, 299(1), 9–26. https://doi.org/10.1002/mame.201300008

Hakeem, I. Y., Hosen, MD. A., Alyami, M., Qaidi, S., Özkılıç, Y. O., Alhamami, A., & Alharthai, M. (2023). Effect of thermal cycles on the engineering properties and durability of sustainable fibrous high-strength concrete. Frontiers in Materials, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmats.2023.1094864

Hardjasaputra, H., Ng, G., Urgessa, G., Lesmana, G., & Sidharta, S. (2017). Performance of Lightweight Natural-Fiber Reinforced Concrete. MATEC Web of Conferences, 138, 01009. https://doi.org/10.1051/matecconf/201713801009

Hassanpour, M., Shafigh, P., & Mahmud, H. Bin. (2012). Lightweight aggregate concrete fiber reinforcement – A review. Construction and Building Materials, 37, 452–461. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2012.07.071

Herlina Sari, N., Wardana, I. N. G., Irawan, Y. S., & Siswanto, E. (2018). Characterization of the Chemical, Physical, and Mechanical Properties of NaOH-treated Natural Cellulosic Fibers from Corn Husks. Journal of Natural Fibers, 15(4), 545–558. https://doi.org/10.1080/15440478.2017.1349707

Jamshaid, H., Mishra, R. K., Raza, A., Hussain, U., Rahman, Md. L., Nazari, S., Chandan, V., Muller, M., & Choteborsky, R. (2022). Natural Cellulosic Fiber Reinforced Concrete: Influence of Fiber Type and Loading Percentage on Mechanical and Water Absorption Performance. Materials, 15(3), 874. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15030874

Khan, M., Cao, M., Chu, S. H., & Ali, M. (2022). Properties of hybrid steel-basalt fiber reinforced concrete exposed to different surrounding conditions. Construction and Building Materials, 322, 126340. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2022.126340

Manikandan, V., Winowlin Jappes, J. T., Suresh Kumar, S. M., & Amuthakkannan, P. (2012). Investigation of the effect of surface modifications on the mechanical properties of basalt fibre reinforced polymer composites. Composites Part B: Engineering, 43(2), 812–818. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesb.2011.11.009

Mir Md, S. S., Chan, M. Y., & Koay, S. C. (2021). Mechanical properties of polyester/corn husk fibre composite produced using vacuum infusion technique. Polymers and Polymer Composites, 29(9_suppl), S1532–S1540. https://doi.org/10.1177/09673911211056782

Mishra, G. (2015). Concrete Compressive Strength Variation with Time – theconstructor.org. https://theconstructor.org/concrete/concrete-compressive-strength-variation-with-time/5933/

Odia, D. H. (2023). Factorial Experimental Design to Study the Effects of Layers and Fiber Content on Concrete Flexural Behavior. Open Journal of Civil Engineering, 13(01), 83–102. https://doi.org/10.4236/ojce.2023.131006

Pourbaba, M., Asefi, E., Sadaghian, H., & Mirmiran, A. (2018). Effect of age on the compressive strength of ultra-high-performance fiber-reinforced concrete. Construction and Building Materials, 175, 402–410. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2018.04.203

Rupakheti, S. (2021). Structural Monitoring of the Thermal Resistance of Concrete. McNeese State University.

Sadrinejad, I., Madandoust, R., & Ranjbar, M. M. (2018). The mechanical and durability properties of concrete containing hybrid synthetic fibers. Construction and Building Materials, 178, 72–82. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2018.05.145

Şahmaran, M., & Li, V. C. (2010). Engineered Cementitious Composites. Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, 2164(1), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.3141/2164-01

Saqib, M., & Saleem, S. (2021). Mechanical Properties of Natural Fiber Reinforced Concrete. 3 Rd Conference on Sustainability in Civil Engineering (CSCE’21) Department of Civil Engineering Capital University of Science and Technology, Islamabad Pakistan, 1–7. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/363263512_Mechanical_Properties_of_Natural_Fiber_Reinforced_Concrete

Seyam, A. M., & Nemes, R. (2023). Age influence on compressive strength for concrete made with different types of aggregates after exposed to high temperatures. Materials Today: Proceedings. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2023.06.403

Shah, I., Jing, L., Fei, Z. M., Yuan, Y. S., Farooq, M. U., & Kanjana, N. (2022). A Review on Chemical Modification by using Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) to Investigate the Mechanical Properties of Sisal, Coir and Hemp Fiber Reinforced Concrete Composites. Journal of Natural Fibers, 19(13), 5133–5151. https://doi.org/10.1080/15440478.2021.1875359

Shah, I., Li, J., Yang, S., Zhang, Y., & Anwar, A. (2022). Experimental Investigation on the Mechanical Properties of Natural Fiber Reinforced Concrete. Journal of Renewable Materials, 10(5), 1307–1320. https://doi.org/10.32604/jrm.2022.017513

Soroushian, P., & Ravanbakhsh, S. (1999). High-Early-Strength-Concrete: Mix Proportioning with Processed Cellulose Fibers for Durability. Materials Journal, 96(5), 593–600. https://doi.org/10.14359/662

Syed, H., Nerella, R., & Madduru, S. R. C. (2020). Role of coconut coir fiber in concrete. Materials Today: Proceedings, 27, 1104–1110. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2020.01.477

Tang, W., Monaghan, R., & Sajjad, U. (2023). Investigation of Physical and Mechanical Properties of Cement Mortar Incorporating Waste Cotton Fibres. Sustainability, 15(11), 8779. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15118779

Torgal, F. P., & Jalali, S. (2011). Natural fiber reinforced concrete. In Fibrous and Composite Materials for Civil Engineering Applications (pp. 154–167). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1533/9780857095583.2.154

Wang, X., He, J., Mosallam, A. S., Li, C., & Xin, H. (2019). The Effects of Fiber Length and Volume on Material Properties and Crack Resistance of Basalt Fiber Reinforced Concrete (BFRC). Advances in Materials Science and Engineering, 2019, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/7520549

Wubneh, F., Gideon, R. K., Wu, D., & Km, B. (2022). Extraction and Characterization of Fibers from Corn Husk. Journal of Natural Fibers, 19(16), 12862–12869. https://doi.org/10.1080/15440478.2022.2077885

Yilmaz, N. D., Sulak, M., Yilmaz, K., & Kalin, F. (2016). Physical and Chemical Properties of Water-Retted Fibers Extracted from Different Locations in Corn Husks. Journal of Natural Fibers, 13(4), 397–409. https://doi.org/10.1080/15440478.2015.1029201

Yılmaz, N. D. (2013). Effects of enzymatic treatments on the mechanical properties of corn husk fibers. Journal of the Textile Institute, 104(4), 396–406. https://doi.org/10.1080/00405000.2012.736707

Zakaria, M., Ahmed, M., Hoque, M. M., & Islam, S. (2017). Scope of using jute fiber for the reinforcement of concrete material. Textiles and Clothing Sustainability, 2(1), 11. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40689-016-0022-5

Zakaria, M., Ahmed, M., Hoque, Md. M., & Hannan, A. (2015). Effect of jute yarn on the mechanical behavior of concrete composites. SpringerPlus, 4(1), 731. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40064-015-1504-7

• HTML

• PDF

• Civil Engineering (miscellaneous)
• Building and Construction
• Environmental Engineering and Waste Management

Copyright (c) 2025 Firouz Rosti, Vincent Ikhine Iselobhor, Dr. Hossienpour, Dr. Gopu, Dr. Cooper

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Open Access Licences
User rights
All articles published open access will be immediately and permanently free for everyone to read and download, copy and distribute.