Structural performance of mangrove reinforced concrete beams

Abstract

This study evaluates the potential to utilize mangrove as reinforcement in concrete structural members. Preliminary tests on tensile strength of mangrove bars was done and compared to that of steel applied as reinforcement in the control beam to establish individual material strengths. Further, flexural test on mangrove reinforced beams was conducted and characterized by comparing with the control steel reinforced concrete beams. Singly and doubly mangrove reinforced beams of1100mm length having 150mm width and 250mmdepthwere tested in flexure and compared with steel reinforced concrete control beams. Three variables diameters of 30mm, 25mm and 20mm of mangrove bars were used for the beam specimens made from concrete with an average strength of 19.3 N/mm². The control beams were reinforced with standard 10mm steel bar. The test results showed that even though mangrove had lower tensile strength as compared to steel, flexural tests results showed that beam of 7.8 % reinforcement ratio of mangrove had higher ultimate load as compared to that of the control beams.