Short-Term Durability of Hemp Fibers

Short-term durability tests on hemp-fiber confined concrete cylinders made up of one layer of hemp-fiber bundles were conducted to study their behavior. Compression test was performed after wetting and drying cycles in both water and seawater. Moreover, uniaxial tension test on hemp-fiber bundles was conducted to study the effect of extended W/D cycles and prolonged exposure to moisture (1,800 hours). Hemp-fiber confined concrete cylinders showed promising results where there was no significant change in both compressive strength and ductility in comparison to control wrapped cylinders. Regarding tensile testing, after prolonged exposure to water, hemp-fiber bundles were completely destroyed. On the other hand, epoxy coating provided a suitable protected configuration to hemp-fiber bundles. Resistance to seawater was highly apparent in the conservation of tensile stresses. Therefore, natural fibers could be recommended as an alternative to synthetic fibers while taking their drawbacks into account.