Bamboo and palm leaves as sustainable alternative to steel reinforcement in concrete beams

A massive urban development is recognized worldwide, resulting in an increased demand for building materials such as reinforcing steel, which is one important material in the construction industry. Due to the high cost of reinforcing steel and its scarcity in many countries, researchers leaned towards finding an alternative, less expensive, renewable and environmentally friendly material. Synthetic and natural fibers, such as glass fiber, bamboo and plam leave, had been under study to serve as reinforcing steel alternatives. This research studies the bending behavior and strength of concrete beams reinforced with bamboo and palm leaves. Six samples were prepared, three of which were reinforced with palm leaves and three with bamboo. A reference beam sample was also prepared for comparative purposes. Three-point bending test was carried out and bending behavior and collapse mechanism were studied. The results showed that the use of palm leaves and bamboo as an alternative to steel reinforcement in concrete improves the beams’ structural behavior. The palm leaves and bamboo reinforced samples showed distinctly different patterns of failure.