Design Of Concrete Mixture for Access Road Using Banana and Bamboo Fibers as Reinforcement

The utilization of waste materials in concrete mixture has gained significant traction due to environmental and economic considerations. Banana stems and bamboo stalks, often discarded as waste, contain valuable fibers that can be repurposed for various applications. These two materials can be incorporated into concrete mixtures to enhance their performance. Banana fibers, with their high tensile strength, and bamboo fibers,known for durability, enhance concrete by strengthening its tensile and compressive properties, reducing cracking, and improving overall durability and performance. The tests that were done are compressive, split tensile, and flexural strength test and water absorption test using class A mixture specifications (1:2:4 ratio of cement, sand, and gravel) with banana and bamboo fibers as reinforcement (percentage varies on different mixtures) that was included in the production of the prototypes and with data that were analyzed and interpreted by MEGATESTING CENTER INC. in Lucena CIty. The study adhered to the standard specifications of ASTM C39, ASTM C496, ASTM C78, ASTM C649, and the Department of Public Works and Highways (2013). The findings revealed that the concrete mixture reinforced with 1% banana and bamboo fibers exhibited the highest effectiveness, achieving a compressive strength of 28 MPa, a split ensile strength of 2.96 MPa, and a flexural strength of 3.28 MPa. Based on these results, the researchers concluded that this mixture is suitable for the construction of access roads.