Cellulosic fiber reinforced cement-based composites: A review of recent research

• Summarizing the latest research on vegetable fiber cement-based composites.
• Reviewing the fibers used, procedures, mechanical performance and durability.
• Durable cement composites with optimized fiber–matrix adhesion have been developed.
• Best performance with vegetable fiber textile reinforcements.

In the last few years, an increase in interest has been given to the use of cellulose fibers as alternatives for conventional reinforcements in composites. The development of commercially viable environmentally friendly and healthy materials based on natural resources is on the rise. In this sense, cellulosic fibers as reinforcements for cement mortar composites constitute a very interesting option for the construction industry.This paper presents a review of the research done during the last years in the area of the cement-based composites reinforced with cellulose fibers. The fibers used, processing methods, mechanical behavior and durability are presented. The main achievements found have been the development of durable cement composites with optimized fiber–matrix adhesion. Moreover, the recently developed textile composites will allow obtaining high performance materials reinforced with vegetable fibers.