Finite Element Analysis of Beams Reinforced with Banana Fiber Bars (BFB)
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Process and Geometrical Property for Banana Fiber
2.1. Banana Fibers Types
2.2. Alkali Treatment of Banana Fibers
2.3. Banana Fiber Bars as Main Reinforcement
2.4. Preparation of the Models
3. Finite Element Model of Beams
4. Analysis and Discussion of Numerical Results
5. Crack Patterns
6. Deflection and Flexure Strength
7. Conclusions
- Waste materials from banana fibers can be converted into construction elements after chemical treatments.
- Banana fiber recycling participates in reducing the global warming that comes from pruning of this waste and also reduces the percentage of CO2.
- The use of banana fiber bars has good economic impact due to the low cost of banana fibers.
- The use of banana fiber bars increases the flexural strength by 25% compared to plain concrete.
- Banana fibers are considered a renewable resource, so they can be obtained for industrial purposes.
- The predicted numerical results from the nonlinear analysis program ANSYS for loading and deflection at ultimate and first cracking levels show a good agreement with the experimental results. The average ratio between experimental measured load and predicted numerical load is 0.989 at ultimate level.
- The simulated cracking patterns and failure modes are similar to those of the testing results for all beams.
- The average ratio between the predicted and the experimental deflection at ultimate load is 0.866. This is due to the assumption of full bond between banana fiber bars and concrete.
8. Recommendations
- The use of banana fiber bars in reinforced concrete beams is recommended due to their corrosion resistance, low cost, and ecofriendliness compared to the use of other types of synthetic fibers.
- This kind of fiber is needed for low-cost buildings due to the fact that the urgent need to enhance suitable and cheap housing is born as an outcome of the fact that over 1 billion human beings in the world, who mostly stay in developing nations, are both homeless or stay in very poor housing.
- Concrete has high permeability coefficient, and that allows water to enter the concrete and reach the reinforcing steel, causing corrosion, which reduces the diameter of the steel that leads to damage in the structural elements (beams), so more sustainable elements such as banana fibers bars should be sought as a substitute for traditional steel for severe atmospheric conditions.
Author Contributions
Funding
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Single Fiber Properties | Banana Fiber |
---|---|
Mean breaking strength fmax (gf) | 465 |
Mean breaking elongation (%) | 1.8 |
Tensile strength, MPa | 267 |
Young’s modulus, MPa | 30,000 |
Passion ratio | 0.3 |
Density, Kg/m3 | 710 |
Fiber diameter in mm, Max | 0.1663 |
Fiber diameter in mm, Min | 0.1243 |
Average fiber diameter in mm | 0.1474 |
Tenacity: 5–7 gm/den |
Elongation at break: 15–30% |
Elastic modulus: 90 |
Elasticity: Good |
Moisture regain (MR%): 0.40% |
Specific gravity: 1.38 |
Melting point: 2500 °C |
Volumetric swelling: None |
Group | Reference Model | Model (A) | Model (B) | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Beam symbol | Beam B1 | Beam B2 | Beam B3 | Beam B4 | Beam B5 | Beam B6 | Beam B7 |
Studied parameter | Ratio of banana fiber bars | Concrete strength |
Beam | Volumetric Ratio of BFB | Longitudinal Main RFT | Type of RFT | Top RFT | Type of RFT | Steel Stirrups | Concrete Strength (MPa) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
B1 (Plain concrete) | - | - | - | - | 25 | ||
B2 | 0.67 | 3Φ12 | Banana fiber bars | 2ϕ6 | Steel | ϕ6 @125 mm | 25 |
B3 | 0.92 | 3Φ14 | Banana fiber bars | 2ϕ6 | Steel | ϕ6 @125 mm | 25 |
B4 | 1.2 | 3Φ16 | Banana fiber bars | 2ϕ6 | Steel | ϕ6 @125 mm | 25 |
B5 | 1.52 | 3Φ18 | Banana fiber bars | 2ϕ6 | Steel | ϕ6 @125 mm | 25 |
B6 | 1.2 | 3Φ16 | Banana fiber bars | 2ϕ6 | Steel | ϕ6 @125 mm | 35 |
B-7 | 1.2 | 3Φ16 | Banana fibers | 2ϕ6 | Steel | ϕ6 @125 mm | 45 |
Beams Group | Symbol | Dimensions (mm) | Shear-Span-to-Depth Ratio | fcu (MPa) | Longitudinal RFT | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
b | t | d | (a/d) | As | As’ | Stirrups | |||
Reference beam | B1 | 200 | 250 | 225 | 2.2 | 25 | - | - | - |
Group (1) | B2 | 200 | 250 | 225 | 2.2 | 25 | 3Ø12 | 2Ø6 | Ø6@125 |
B3 | 200 | 250 | 225 | 2.2 | 25 | 3Ø14 | 2Ø6 | Ø6@125 | |
B4 | 200 | 250 | 225 | 2.2 | 25 | 3Ø16 | 2Ø6 | Ø6@125 | |
B5 | 200 | 250 | 225 | 2.2 | 25 | 3Ø18 | 2Ø6 | Ø6@125 | |
Group (2) | B6 | 200 | 250 | 225 | 2.2 | 35 | 3Ø16 | 2Ø6 | Ø6@125 |
B7 | 200 | 250 | 225 | 2.2 | 45 | 3Ø16 | 2Ø6 | Ø6@125 |
Model | Main RFT | Φ (mm) | First CRACK LOAD Exp. | Ultimate Load (kN) Exp. | Ultimate Load (kN) ANSYS | PANSYS/PExp. | Type of Failure | Rapture |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
B1 | Plain concrete | ---- | 20 | 23 | 1.15 | Brittle failure | ---- | |
B2 | Banana fiber bars | 12 | 11 | 26 | 30 | 1.15 | Flexure failure | Rapture of bars |
B3 | Banana fiber bars | 14 | 12.5 | 26.8 | 30.5 | 1.14 | Flexure failure | Rapture of bars |
B4 | Banana fiber bars | 16 | 12 | 27.3 | 30.9 | 1.13 | Flexure failure | Rapture of bars |
B5 | Banana fiber bars | 16 | 10 | 28 | 32 | 1.14 | Flexure failure | Rapture of bars |
B6 | Banana fiber bars | 16 | 14 | 27 | 29 | 1.07 | Flexure failure | Rapture of bars |
B7 | Banana fiber bars | 16 | 13.8 | 27 | 29.2 | 1.08 | Flexure failure | Rapture of bars |
Average | - | - | - | - | - | 1.12 | - | - |
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Elbehiry, A.; Mostafa, M. Finite Element Analysis of Beams Reinforced with Banana Fiber Bars (BFB). Fibers 2020, 8, 52. https://doi.org/10.3390/fib8080052
Elbehiry A, Mostafa M. Finite Element Analysis of Beams Reinforced with Banana Fiber Bars (BFB). Fibers. 2020; 8(8):52. https://doi.org/10.3390/fib8080052
Chicago/Turabian StyleElbehiry, Amgad, and Marwan Mostafa. 2020. "Finite Element Analysis of Beams Reinforced with Banana Fiber Bars (BFB)" Fibers 8, no. 8: 52. https://doi.org/10.3390/fib8080052