EFFECT OF SHEEP WOOL FIBER ON FRESH AND HARDENED PROPERTIES OF FIBER REINFORCED CONCRETE

Fiber reinforced cementitious composites are gaining attention in construction industry because of the high strength, ductility and energy absorption capacity. Concrete production is still under consideration to improve the sustainability and environmentally safety. Therefore, natural fiber reinforced concrete is the good alternative. Although sheep wools are producing a huge amount of waste, which can be utilized as building material in concrete if properly recycled. The addition of sheep wool in concrete mix was not very new, it has been used for insulation purposes. In this research the mechanical properties of sheep wool fiber reinforced concrete (SWFRC) were investigated. Total sixty cylindrical specimens and prisms were tested in this experiment to assess the fresh and hardened properties of SWFRC. The aim study was fulfilled by the results obtained from the split tensile test and flexural test. The weak tensile strength of concrete was enhanced by the addition of high tensile sheep wool and the cracks bridging effect of smooth and elastic fibers were worked to enhance the ductility and flexural capacity of concrete. Meanwhile, the compressive strength reduction due to addition of sheep wool in concrete can be minimized by proper treatment, which must need to investigate correspondingly.