Mechanical and thermal performance of pineapple leaf fibre (PALF) as admixture in Interlocking Compressed Earth Brick (ICEB)

• Published in: IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science
• Main Author: Razman R.; Dzulkiflee N.A.; Saifulbahri N.H.; Hassan C.S.; Hanipah M.H.; Yasin M.N.; Abdullah N.F.; Ng J.L.
• Format: Conference paper
• Language: English
• Published: Institute of Physics 2024
• Online Access: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85201824915&doi=10.1088%2f1755-1315%2f1347%2f1%2f012076&partnerID=40&md5=24b6ad72619312c5e206ac72d758d795

Nowadays, the use of Interlocking Compressed Earth Bricks (ICEB) has taken a dominant position in the construction industry due to the constant quest to reduce carbon dioxide emissions that are harmful to the environment. ICEB is a brand-new, alternative technique that has been created to enhance the green attributes of conventional bricks. As opposed to conventional brick, ICEB are manufactured using a compression method and thus do not need to be fired, thereby reducing carbon emissions. The compaction process and the content of the stabiliser added to the mixes give the ICEB its strength. This study focuses on determining the effect of pineapple leaf fibre (PALF) inclusion and mix ratio on the ICEB performance. Three (3) distinct PALF percentages of 0.05, 0.10, and 0.15 percent were investigated. All ICEB samples were tested for compressive strength and water absorption at ages 3, 7 and 28, while the optimal ratio was further investigated in term of its thermal properties. It was found that the ICEB with 0.10 percent PALF contents has a maximum compressive strength that is greater than the minimum requirement specified in BS3921:1985 (5 N/mm2), but the water absorption exceeds the permitted limit of 15% based on MS 76:1972. Whereas ICEB with a PALF content of 0.1 percent has a good heat conductivity value which is k-value 0.201, while for the heat resistance value, R-value is 0.622. It is proved that PALF-ICEB perform well compared to ICEB without any admixture with k-value and R-value is 0.724 and 0.173, respectively. This study could be useful to serve as a guide for the PALF-ICEB's mix design. © 2024 Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd.