Compression strength of natural fibre composite plates and sections of flax, jute and hemp

While there is a wealth of knowledge in the materials aspects of natural fibre composites, relatively few studies have investigated their potential for structural applications. This paper presents an experimental and analytical study of natural fibre composite plates and channel sections consisting of flax, jute and hemp fibres and subjected to pure compression. The intrinsic mechanical properties are shown to be relatively modest. However, the buckling and post-buckling responses are shown to be stable, the ultimate condition is reached in a stable and predictable manner, and failure ensues in a gradual and ductile process. These characteristics show promise for the use of natural fibre composite sections in light structural applications such as in the residential and light commercial markets. Additionally, the analytical effective width mechanics model shows promise for use as a design technique for estimating their compression strength.