Improvement of mechanical properties of green concrete by treatment of the vegetals fibers

Diss is a wild vegetal species which can be found in plenty on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. This fibrous plant can provide cement materials with reinforcement properties similar to classical steel or polypropylene reinforced concrete. However, good adhesion between fibers and cement is required for the fibrous strengthening. The objective of this study is to investigate two types of treatments for Diss-based fibers in order to assess their efficiency. The first treatment consists of extracting the sugars by distillation of the Diss fibers. The second treatment consists of waterproofing the Diss fibers to prevent water absorption. The compressive and flexural strength parameters of Diss-cement composite are used to assess the treatment performances. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.