Tensile Strength Characteristics of Fanpalm under Various Exposure Conditions

Abstract

Fanpalm is a prospective reinforcing material in structural elements. Fanpalm is locally available and has been studied as a suitable alternative to steel reinforcement which is usually imported and expensive. The need for durability of the fanpalm under varying exposure conditions is the concern of this study. The ultimate tensile strength of fanpalm was determined under various exposure conditions to evaluate its possible usage, both on short term and long term basis. Fanpalm specimens were cut, shaped and coated with various protective agents (sodium sulphate, magnesium sulphate, hydroxylamine, epoxy, and sulphur ) then cured in alkaline media(0.1N sodium hydroxide solution) for 3, 7, 14, 28 and 56 days. A set of uncoated Fanpalm were subjected to the same curing conditions as the coated specimens to serve as the control. Tensile strength tests were carried out to evaluate the ultimate tensile stress at various ages for each of the exposure conditions. The results showed that epoxy coated fanpalm specimens recorded the highest strength at 56 days of 80.83N/mm² while magnesium sulphate coated specimens had the lowest strength of 66.25N/mm² during the same period. The uncoated specimens had average strength of 65.00N/mm² at 56 days in alkaline media. It could be said that the coating improves the tensile strength of fanpalm in alkaline media. It was concluded that fanpalm coated with epoxy could be used as a reinforcing material in concrete structures for short term usage. Further evaluation of the strength of epoxy coated specimens over longer duration (say one year) should be carried out to determine its usage as reinforcements on long term basis.

Keywords: Fanpalm, tensile strength, reinforcing material, exposure conditions.