Improvement of the Mechanical Behavior of Composite Materials with Different Binders Based on Local Plant Fibers Alfa and Diss

Abstract Concerned about the environmental and economic impact, composite materials are increasingly used in the construction sector. Indeed, the use of plant fibers as reinforcement in construction materials have been the subject of several researches in recent years; the main motivation is the weight gain combined with high mechanical characteristics. The objective of this research concerns the study of the physicomechanical properties of composite materials with cement and clay matrices reinforced with Alfa and Diss fibers with dimensions ranging from 2 to 8 cm. This involves evaluating the performance of these materials according to the formulation, for a volume ratio (Alfa or Diss / Matrix fibers equal to 4), using dry fibers and pre-wetted fibers. The study of the mechanical properties showed a drop of the performance for both compression and bending strength compared to the reference material without adding fibers (cement or clay paste). It should be noted that the best mechanical performance is obtained for the case of composites materials with cementitious matrix with pre-wetted fibers. On the other hand, in the case of composites with clayey matrices, pre-wetting does not improve the mechanical characteristics. It is also noted that the best dimensions of fibers which improve the mechanical characteristics in bending are generally 6 cm for composites with a clay matrix and between 2 and 4 cm for cementitious composites. In all cases, the fibers in composite materials with cement or clay matrix create a bridging effect, making it possible to limit the progression of cracks during loading. This phenomenon gives to the various composite materials a ductile behavior.