RESEARCH 5.

MEMBERS:

ANGAL, SITTIE DIANA L.

BUGARSO, ELAIZAH ANESSA R.
CUALES, JONA
DEREQUITO, KEN XYRIS GRACE G.
PENALBER, JACINTH ONYX L.
TANALGO, FERMIN C.

BSCE 3B
 CONCEPT MAP

CONCRETE SLAB

STEEL AS REINFORCED
MATERIAL

HIGH PRODUCTION
PRODUCE HIGH COST AND ITS RAW
ENERGY OF CO2 MATERIALS ARE
EXPENSIVE

SUSTAINABLE AND RENEWABLE

ECO-FRIENDLY MATERIAL

PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS OF DIFFERENT KIND OF

WOODS AS AN ALTERNATIVE CONCRETE SLAB

MAHOGANY
BAMBOO COCONUT STEM
STEM
CONCRETE VS. WOOD

Today, second only to water, concrete is the most consumed material,

with three tonnes per year used for every person in the world. Twice as much

concrete is used in construction as all other building materials combined.

Reinforced concrete was invented during the second half of the 19th Century.

Besides, the need to substitute wood for gardening and recreational use, the

main driver was the need for an economic and fireproof building material. The

development of modern cement and steel during the first half of the

19th century made this invention possible.

According to Skyciv.com, concrete is a mixture of water, cement and

aggregates. The proportion of the three main components is important so as

to create a concrete mix of desired compressive strength. When reinforcing

steel bars are added into concrete, the two materials work together with

concrete providing the compressive strength and steel providing the tensile

strength. Reinforced concrete has a high compressive strength compared to

other building materials and can also withstand a good amount tensile stress.

As cited in the article published by Science Museum, concrete is now the

most widely used manufactured material on the planet. It has shaped so much

of our built environment, but this comes at a massive environmental cost.

Cement is the key ingredient that makes concrete such a useful building

material, and we use over 4 billion tonnes of it globally every year. Cement

production alone generates around 2.5 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2)

per year—about 8% of the global total.

 The chemical process which turns the raw materials of limestone and clay

into cement also releases high levels of CO2. The environmental impact of

concrete, however, goes further than the large amount of gases released into

the atmosphere through cement production.

According to Colin R. Gagg (2013), there is little doubt that concrete will

remain in use as a construction material well into the future. However, with

such extensive use of the material, discovery of any shortcoming or problem

associated with concrete or reinforced concrete structures will become a

matter of considerable public concern – both from a safety perspective and

associated costs of rectification.

The production of concrete is a major contributor to greenhouse gas

emissions, and it also requires the extraction of large quantities of natural

resources. Wood, on the other hand, is a renewable resource that can be

harvested and used to create building materials with a much lower

environmental impact.

Wood is an organic, hygroscopic and anisotropic material. Its thermal,

acoustic, electrical, mechanical, aesthetic, working, etc. properties are very

suitable to use it is possible to build a comfortable house using only wooden

products. Wood is obviously both a common and a historical choice as a

structural engineering material.

For being a relatively lightweight building material, wood outperforms

even steel when it comes to breaking length (or self-support length). Simply

put, it can support its own weight better, which allows for larger spaces and
fewer necessary supports in some building designs. Wood is durable, results

in less thermal bridging than its counterparts and easily incorporates

prefabricated elements that can be used as a reinforced slab alternative to

concrete. Its structural performance is very high and its compressive strength

is similar to concrete. Wood is also a renewable resource, which is important

for sustainability. However, wood can be expensive, and it is important to

source it from sustainable forests.

One of the main challenges to using wood rather than concrete for

reinforced concrete slabs is that wood is not as strong as concrete in

compression. However, wood does have a higher tensile strength than

concrete, which means that it can be used to create reinforced concrete slabs

that are just as strong as concrete slabs, but with a smaller environmental

impact. The objective of this research is to develop new and innovative ways

to use different kind of woods for reinforced concrete slabs. The research will

focus on developing new wood-based reinforcement materials, as well as to

examine the performance analysis of the three woods - mahogany stem,

coconut stem, bamboo- that will be used in this study.

MAHOGANY STEM

Mahogany is a popular wood for making furniture, musical instruments,

carving, and for many indoor and outdoor woodworking projects. It is

expensive because of its appearance and great qualities.

Mahogany wood’s compressive strength clocks in at 6,460 psi, meaning it

can withstand a high amount of downward or upward force before it starts to

deform.This is a significant reason why mahogany is a top choice for furniture

and construction projects. (Parker, W. (2023)

The bending strength of mahogany is equally impressive, standing at

10,700 psi.This statistic gives an insight into mahogany’s ability to resist

breaking or cracking when bent, making it a top choice for projects requiring

bentwood or curved designs. (Parker, W. (2023)

Mahogany’s density is at 0.42 kg/m^3, contributing to its ability to resist

wear and tear, pests, and rot. Its hardness level, recorded at 830 lb, is a

measure of its resistance to scratches and dents. Also, mahogany’s stiffness

is rated at 1.40, which indicates the wood’s resistance to bending under load,

contributing to its overall strength. (Parker, W. (2023)

Its strength makes it ideal for furniture, decking, flooring, and other

woodworking projects. The porous structure of Mahogany gives prominent

grain and strength to the wood. In terms of hardness and density, Mahogany

shows exceptional qualities and it is one of the hardest and densest woods in

the world.

BAMBOO STEM

Bamboo is a rapidly renewable resource, used in many countries as a

viable building construction material. Bamboo is an advantageous and

sustainable material mainly due to its fast growth, reaching maturity in 2 - 4

years, when some species become ready for use in engineering applications.
 Walter Parker noted that “Bamboo is extremely strong. It has a tensile

strength of 28,000 pounds per square inch, surpassing steel. Moreover, it’s 2-

3 times harder and stronger than most hardwoods, like oak. Its impressive

strength-to-weight ratio also makes it ideal for construction and reinforcement

purposes.”

Bamboo is widely used in construction, particularly in areas prone to

earthquakes, as its flexibility allows it to sway with the ground movement

rather than cracking or breaking. It is hardwood with great structural

properties. Its compressive strength ranges from 19.96 Mpa to 23.80 Mpa and

its tensile strength ranges 142 Mpa to 265 Mpa. The compressive strength

and tensile strength of Bamboo are significantly high. There are no knots or

rays that can be seen in Bamboo wood, therefore, it can withstand high stress

along the length of the stalk.

COCONUT STEM

Coconut is a versatile plant, which grows mostly in tropical areas.hey are

the largest members of the palm family and can reach heights of up to 100

feet. Coconut trees are known for their hardiness, and they can withstand

strong winds, saltwater, and even drought. As a result, they are a popular

choice for landscaping and are often planted in coastal areas.

The stem of the coconut tree can be used for a variety of purposes,

including making furniture, poles for construction, and even fuel. Coconut tree

stems are known for their durability and strength, making them a suitable

building material for a variety of projects.

 Cocos nucifera L, the coconut palm is an agricultural crop widespread in

the tropics. Unlike conventional trees, palms being monocotyledons, have no

vascular cambium, no secondary growth whereas the variation of properties

within a tree is great. Usually, unproductive trees were felled and its stem had

been utilized as engineering materials, both in timber and pole shape.

Mechanical properties of coconut wood are closely related to its density and

can be divided into three different density groups, namely high density (600

kg/m3 and above), medium density (400 – 599 kg/m3 ) and lower density

(below 400 kg/m3 ). The periphery of stem has high density, but there are the

harvesting steps which causes the utilization as engineering materials could

not be optimal. (Wardhani, I.Y., et. al. (2002))

 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

RELATED STUDIES

The study “Effect of Seawater with Average Salinity on the Moisture

Content, Ash Content and Tensile Strength of Some Coniferous Wood” was

conducted by Roman, K. et. al. (2023). this study determined the differences

in mechanical strength tested during the static tensile and compression test of

Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), European larch (Larix decidua) and Norway

spruce (Picea abies) wood exposed to continuous soaking in water with a

salinity of 7%. The value of salinity corresponded to the average salinity on

the Polish Baltic coast. The essence of the statistical research was to identify

the effect of the mineral range compounds and salts depending on the

mechanical strength of the wood. Based on the results of the experiments, it

can be concluded that the medium used has a specific effect on the wood

species’ structure. The effects of soaking on the wood parameters depend

obviously on the type of wood. A tensile strength test of pine, as well as the

tensile strength other species, was enhanced by incubating it in seawater. A

native sample’s initial mean tensile strength was 82.5 MPa, which increased

to 94.8 MPa in the last cycle. It was found that the larch wood had the lowest

tensile strength difference (9 MPa) of the woods studied in the current study.

Four to six weeks of soaking was necessary to notice an increase in tensile

strength.

According to Macarenhas A.R.P., et.al (2021)’s article, “Wood quality of

Khaya senegalensis trees from a multi-stratified agroforestry system

established in an open ombrophilous forest zone”, the results obtained for

parallel-to-grain compression strength (26.5 MPa), static bending strength

(56.0 MPa), shear strength (10.4 MPa), and Janka hardness parallel to the

grain (3420.0 N), indicate that the mechanical performance was similar to

wood from other African and South American mahogany species from

monocultures and natural forests. Experimental results indicated that the

wood produced in the AFS can be suitable for furniture, musical instruments,

applications in external structures, residential floors, and vehicle bodies.

In April 2016, Maruthupandian.G , Saravanan.R , Suresh Kumar.S ,

Sivakumar.B.G, conducted a study “A Study on Bamboo Reinforced Concrete

Slabs”. In this study, three different compositions of bamboo reinforced

polymer composites (40, 30 and 25% of bamboo reinforcement volume) are

prepared with the use of epoxy and hardener. From the testing results it

clearly revealed 25% of bamboo reinforcement composite had higher tensile

strength among all the three. Simultaneously the bamboo is reinforced in

concrete cement slab instead of steel rod with the standard size. The steel

reinforced concrete slab is slightly superior to the bamboo reinforced concrete

slab. At the same time deflection of both slabs are same at 40KN load. Hence

the bamboo as a structural material in the minimal loading applications like

kitchen slabs, books slabs can be served.

The study “Analysis of Reinforced Concrete Slabs-on-Grade in Industrial

Buildings” was proposed by Ibrahim G. Shaaban (2019). This parametric

study using Non-Linear Finite Element Analysis (NLFEA) was carried out to

investigate the response of slabs on grade to industrial trucks with single

wheel axles loading. The studied parameters were the load position in relation
to slab edges, slab proportions, the reinforcement content, method of

reinforcement arrangement, and the modulus of sub-grade reaction. The sub-

grade is represented in the analysis by boundary-spring elements of a non-

tension model to simulate the soil-resistance characteristics. The study

showed that the load-carrying capacity of slab panels is substantially

influenced by panel thickness and, to a lesser extent, the modulus of sub-

grade reaction. It was found that adequate and practical results can be

obtained in case the safety factor of bearing capacity was assigned a value

close to 7. In addition, increasing the modulus of the sub-grade reaction

enhanced the slab strength to some extent. The enhancement diminished

with increasing the sub-grade modulus beyond 2E-2 N/mm3. Moreover, the

reinforcement content had a negligible effect. Applying a linear finite element

procedure to the range of slab panels investigated, yielded, in general,

acceptable load-carrying capacities as compared to the results of NLFEA.

Sivakumar, R. et. al., (2022) published an research article,”Experimental

Analysis on the Feasibility of Bamboo Reinforcement in Concrete Mix Design

and Comparison with Steel Reinforced Concrete”. According to the article,

concrete and steel produce a high amount of CO2, and high energy

consumption promotes global warming. To evade this problem, green and low

energy consuming alternative is required. In this research, article authors

replaced steel reinforcement in concrete with bamboo. To establish bamboo

as a construction material, a concrete beam of 200 mm × 500 mm is made in

which bamboo bars of diameter 20 mm are used with a variation of 1 to 4% of

the reinforcement area. Various tests were performed to provide the feasibility
of bamboo as construction materials after 28 days of curing, in which test

results were found promising. Te impact test shows only 25% of wear and

tear. Also, bamboo reinforced concrete (BRC) without changing cross

sections provided 50% axial compressive strength compared to steel

reinforced concrete (SRC). However, in the tensile test, BRC outperformed

SRC by providing 50% more resistance against tensile load. Authors also

performed rate analysis between SRC and BRC to fnd that it almost reduces

18% of the cost at a small scale.

The study “Potential Use of Coconut Stem as Reinforcement in Concrete

Slab” proposed by Olatokunbo O., Olowofoyeku, A., Adaramaja, G.,

Oluwafemi, J., and Sunday, E. (2020) focused primarily on the utilization of an

economical, eco-friendly, renewable building material. In this study, the

researchers investigated the possible use of coconut stem strips as

reinforcement in concrete paste. The coconut stem was cut into various

lengths, diameter, treated and coated with gloss paint and coal tar. Various

tests in accordance to standard were conducted to determine the

performance of the coconut stem strips. Compressive strength test and

impact load tests were carried out on the concrete slab specimens to satisfy

the desire of incorporating coconut stem as reinforcement in concrete slab.

The compressive strength was performed on a large number of concrete

cubes; 3 cubes each for day 7, 14, 21 and 28. As regards the impact loads

test, 13 slabs were cast, 3 slabs each containing steel, dried coconut stem

strips, gloss painted coconut stem strips, coal tar coated coconut stem strips

with varying dimensions of 16 x15 mm, 20 x 15 mm and 25 x 15 mm and plain

slab without reinforcement serving as control. As expected, the slab

reinforced with steel showed better strength in the cured state; however, the

2% of the coconut stripes reinforcement treated with coal tar would serve as

good as the conventional steel reinforcement for normal concrete.

Shubber, M., Mohammed, T.J., and Breesem, K.M. (2023) conducted a

study “Production Economical Reinforced Concrete Slabs using Eco-Friendly

Material”. The experimental study investigates the potential product of

economical reinforced concrete slabs using eco-friendly materials. The results

included the control mix (CM), F1 0.25%, F2 0.50%, F3 0.75%, and F4 1%.

The specimen with the highest compression and tensile strength was 24.28

MPa and 3.15 MPa, respectively, for the F1 specimen with 0.25% short fibers.

Secondly, the bending test was carried out on ten slabs to check the structural

behavior of these slabs reinforced with reed rods as the eco-friendly material.

The good results of the bearing capacity of a partially reinforced concrete slab

with a reed have been obtained at 23.8 kN. Meanwhile, to obtain better

results, this research has enhanced the behavior of the concrete slab by

improving the concrete's properties by adding polypropylene synthetic

microfiber to the mixed concrete. In addition, giant reeds treated with epoxy

increase the bonding strength with concrete, improve tensile strength

properties, and reduce the absorption of reeds. Therefore, the bearing

capacity results of the reed-reinforced concrete slab became the best, which

were 35.83 kN. Thus, reinforcement of one-way slabs by reed partially with

appropriate diameters could be substituted to obtain good performance in the

reconstruction of low-cost buildings. As a result, economical reinforced

concrete slabs have been produced using eco-friendly materials.

A review of literature “Literature Review on Bamboo Reinforced Concrete”

conducted by Gaikwad, O., et. al.(2019) investigated such ‘bamboo-reinforced

concrete’ and assesses its structural and environmental performance as an

alternative to steel reinforced concrete. A prototype three bay portal frame,

that would not be uncommon in regions of the world where bamboo-reinforced

concrete may be considered, is used to illustrate bamboo reinforced concrete

design and as a basis for a life cycle assessment of the same. The authors

conclude that, bamboo is a material with extraordinary mechanical properties,

its use in bamboo-reinforced concrete is an considered concept, having

significant durability, strength and stiffness issues, and meet the

environmentally friendly credentials often attributed to it.

In June 2015, Adewuyi1, A., Otukoya1, A.,Olaniyi, O., and Olafusi1,

O.conducted a study “Comparative Studies of Steel, Bamboo and Rattan as

Reinforcing Bars in Concrete: Tensile and Flexural Characteristics”. This

study comparatively evaluated the flexural performance and deformation

characteristics of concrete elements reinforced with bamboo (Bambusa

vulgaris), rattan (Calamuc deerratus) and the twisted steel rebars. The yield

strength (YS), ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and the elongation of 50

specimens of the three materials were determined using a universal testing

machine. Three beams of concrete strength 20 N/mm2 at age 28 days were

separately reinforced with bamboo, rattan and steel bars of same percentage,
while the stirrups were essentially mild steel bars. The beams were subjected

to centre-point flexural loading according to BS 1881 to evaluate the flexural

behaviour. The YS of bamboo and rattan bars were 13% and 45% of that of

steel respectively, while their UTS were 16% and 62% of that of steel in the

same order. The elongation of bamboo, rattan and steel were 7.42%, 10%

and 14.7% respectively. The natural rebars were less than the 12% minimum

requirement of BS 4449. The load-deflection plots of bamboo and steel RC

beams were quadratic, while rattan RC beams had curvilinear trend. The

stiffness of bamboo RC beams (BB) and rattan RC beams (RB) were 32%

and 13.5% of the stiffness of steel RC beams (SB). The post-first crack

residual flexural strength was 41% for BB and SB, while RB was 25%.

Moreover, the moment capacities of BB and RB corresponded to 51% and

21% respectively of the capacity of steel RC beams. The remarkable gap

between the flexural capacities of the natural rebars and that of steel can be

traced not only to the tensile strength but also the weak bonding at the bar-

concrete interface. It can be concluded that the bamboo bars are suitable

rebars for non-load bearing and lightweight RC flexural structures, while more

pre-strengthening treatment is required more importantly for rattan for

improved interfacial bonding and load-carrying capacity.

Ibrahim, T. and Allawi, A. (2023) proposed a study entitled “The Response

of Reinforced Concrete Composite Beams Reinforced with Pultruded GFRP

to Repeated Loads”. This study investigates the experimental response of

composite reinforced concrete with GFRP and steel I-sections under limited

cycles of repeated load. The practical work included testing four beams - a
reference beam, two composite beams with pultruded GFRP I-sections, and a

composite beam with a steel I-beam were subjected to repeated loading. The

repeated loading test started by loading gradually up to a maximum of 75% of

the ultimate static failure load for five loading and unloading cycles. After that,

the specimens were reloaded gradually until failure. All test specimens were

tested under a three-point load. Experimental results showed that the ductility

index increased for the composite beams relative to the reference specimen

by 156.2% for a composite beam with GFRP with shear connectors, 148.6%

for composite beams with GFRP without connectors, and 96% for the

composite beam with a steel I-section.

An article “Sustainability Design Considerations for Timber-Concrete

Composite Floor Systems” by Daneshvar, H. (2021) studied the impact on

embodied carbon in the TCC system, when the ratio of timber and concrete

was varied for specific floor spans. Two MTP products were considered, CLT

and glued laminated timber (GLT). The floors were designed to satisfy

structural, acoustic, and vibration criteria, and the results were presented in

the form of span tables. It was found that using thicker MTP instead of adding

concrete thickness to meet a specific span requirement can lead to lower

embodied carbon values. Increasing concrete thickness for long-span floor

systems led to a reduction in allowable floor span due to the vibration criterion

being the controlling design parameter. Increasing timber thickness also

resulted in higher strength and stiffness to weight ratios, which would

contribute toward reducing the size of lateral load resisting systems and

foundations, resulting in further reductions in the embodied carbon of the

entire structure.