EFFECTS OF USING PALM KERNEL SHELL AND SPIKELET FIBERS AS COARSE AGGREGATE FOR LIGHTWEIGHT CONCRETE

Agricultural and Industrial wastes have created waste management and pollution problems. The replacement of conventional ingredients in concrete production would reduce construction cost and proper waste management. The percentages of spikelet fibers in the composites were 0%, 0.25%, 0.5%, 0.75% and 1%. Concrete cubes and rectangular bricks of sizes 150mm x 150mm x 150mm and 40mm x 40mm x 160mm respectively with different percentages of spikelet fibers cured and tested after 7 and 28 days. The flexural strength, compressive strength, Density, slump workability, rate of water absorption and grain size were analyzed. It results that palm kernel shells were well graded and a good replacement for conventional aggregates. The density and compressive strength after 28 days curing was within the range 1645 to 1749kg/m3 and 15.35 to 19.21kg/m3 respectively. It was observed that slump workability reduced while compressive strength, water absorption, density and flexural strength increases proportionately with fiber contents.