Eulogio “Amang” Rodriguez Institute of Science and Technology

Nagtahan, Sampaloc, Manila

College of Engineering
Department of Civil Engineering

Utilization of coconut husk fibers and shell in concrete hollow blocks for improved strength

and maintained environmental sustainability

Submitted By:

Gianna Ellaine T. Velasco

BS CE - 2A

Submitted To:

Ms. Lydia N. Era

Date of Submission:

June 14, 2020

Acknowledgement

The Researcher would like to express its deepest gratitude to the following people and figures who

showed their help and support in accomplishing this research:

First and foremost, to our Almighty God, who provided the guidance and blessings in finding

resources that lead to the completion of this research. To the parents of the Researcher, who showed

moral support while the research is still on process. Lastly, to Ms. Lydia N. Era, who allowed her students

to widen their knowledge in Construction Materials and Testing. Furthermore, to gratify her for the

consideration and deep understanding of her students. Moreover, the Researcher appreciates her

presence throughout the process of doing this research.

Table of Contents

Abstract.........................................................................................................................................................4
Introduction....................................................................................................................................................5
Literature Review...........................................................................................................................................6
Methodology..................................................................................................................................................7
Results..........................................................................................................................................................8
Recommendation...........................................................................................................................................9
Bibliography.................................................................................................................................................17
Abstract

Concrete hollow blocks are construction materials that are widely used in the construction of multi-

storied buildings, factories, domestic developments, and commercial and residential buildings. It is primarily

made from a mixture of cement, sand, aggregates, and water. Nevertheless, on the rise of construction

projects kickstarted on Duterte administration, the demand and cost for construction materials skyrocketed.

The use of raw materials for making a CHB is a threat in our environment, aggregates explicitly.

Aggregates are mined from the earth by either blasted out of quarries or dug out of pits. However, it may

lead to loss of biodiversity and the non-availability of natural resources to future generations.

Consequently, there is an up bring in using agricultural waste as a supplement to lessen the cost of

construction materials. The utilization of coconut husk fiber and shell in the production of concrete hollow

blocks is believed to alleviate the problem. Instead of burying coconut husk and coconut shells in a landfill

and burning them, which is harmful to the environment, utilizing coconut husk and coconut shells in the

production of construction materials can be proved beneficial. This study aims to investigate whether

coconut husk fiber and shell can be used as a substitute for aggregates and drastically improve the

structural integrity of concrete hollow blocks. Mechanical Property and Compressive Strength test in

accordance with the ASTM (Standard Test Method for Sieve Analysis of Coarse Aggregate, 2011) were

used for both CHB and CHB with coconut husk fiber and shell as aggregates to test their physical and

mechanical properties. It is found that Concrete Hollow Blocks with coconut husk as aggregates obtain

higher ratings compared to the ordinary pure-cement concrete hollow blocks.

Keywords: Concrete hollow blocks, coconut husk, coconut shells

Introduction

The necessities of human beings are food, clothing, and shelter. Shelter involves construction;

hence, construction is essential development of man. Back in ancient times, our ancestors used to live in

caves, as time progresses, they started constructing shelters made from wood and eventually mud. In the

present time, concrete hollow blocks became popular in construction due to its cheapness, which reduces

the cost of construction and its size compared to burnt clay bricks that speed up construction and reduces

masonry work.

With the rising numbers of construction projects kickstarted during the Duterte administration, the

demands for construction materials skyrocketed. Driven by the Build, Build, Build program of the

government, the prices of construction materials rose by 4.7% year on year in November 2017 according to

the data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). The growing demand for construction materials led

to the scarcity of sand and pea gravel. This increase in demands calls for alternative raw materials that

would lessen the cost of production of construction materials as well as the impact of quarrying of sand and

gravel, which degrades our environment. Making use of agricultural waste products such as coconut husk

and coconut shells lessens the pollution as well as the degradation of our environment [ CITATION Aqu18 \l

13321 ]. The use of coconut husk in the production of concrete hollow blocks reduces the use of

conventional cement and the cost of the concrete hollow blocks as well. Concrete hollow blocks with

aggregates replaced with coconut husk can be an adequate substitute to our usual pure cement-made

concrete hollow blocks that can be used in building a house that is strong, durable, and is affordable to the

poor.

This study aims to explore the possibility of using coconut husk and shell as an alternative

aggregate in the production of concrete hollow blocks. Analyzing the effects of coconut husk and shell to

concrete hollow blocks by determining (a) physical properties in terms of color, texture, and density, (b)
mechanical properties such as compressive strength, modulus elasticity, modulus of rupture, absorption,

and thermal conductivity.

Literature Review

The Philippines is known as the second-largest producer of coconut products in the world, such as

coconut oil, copra (dried coconut), and desiccated coconut. With around 15 million metric tons of coconuts

produced each year, it is estimated that around one-quarter of the total farmland in the Philippines is

dedicated to the production of coconuts [ CITATION Wor18 \l 13321 ]. A coconut has four parts: the

coconut husk, the coconut shell, the coconut meat, and the coconut milk. Coconut husks cover 35% of the

whole fruit, while coconut shells cover 15% of the whole fruit, and these were the by-products of coconuts

[ CITATION Man16 \l 13321 ] . The coconut has a lot of potentials, aside from the food industry. Coconuts

are studied as an alternative for fossil fuels, while some burned and powdered its shell to use as activated

charcoal to be used for filters in masks and air-conditioning units. [ CITATION Esq02 \l 13321 ]. Coconut

husk and coconut shells offer a possibility for a new composite material that can be used in construction,

such as concrete hollow blocks [ CITATION Ach08 \l 13321 ].

Conventional concrete hollow blocks are made from sand, aggregates, and cement. The sand and

aggregates that are used in the production of concrete products came from excessive quarrying of our

riversides and mountains, which greatly degrades our environment [ CITATION Aqu18 \l 13321 ]. Using

agricultural wastes for industrial purposes is much more environmentally safe and friendly as it allows

proper disposal of these wastes, which often cause air pollution, soil erosion, and a decrease in soil fertility

[ CITATION Eig00 \l 13321 ]. Utilization of coconut by-products to the production of concrete materials offer

additional benefits compared to conventional concrete products. The usage of coconut husk and coconut

shells to the production of concrete products benefits our environment as well as the low-income families

and farmers of coconut plantations. [CITATION Gun13 \t \l 13321 ] . Furthermore, integrating coconut
shells into the concrete mix is an excellent idea because of its high strength and modulus properties.

[ CITATION Kam14 \l 13321 ].

On a concrete slump test, a control concrete and a coconut husk and shell (CHS) concrete were

both examined. Both subjects have slump value ranges from 20 to 26 mm. However, it is observed that the

slump value of CHS concrete decreases as the coconut shell content of concrete increases. [CITATION

Yer12 \l 13321 ]. Furthermore, CHS concrete offers excellent workability due to the smooth surface and

size of the coconut shell used. With the improved workability of concrete comes lower water-cement ratio.

[CITATION Gun12 \t \l 13321 ] . Moreover, coconut shells bind together with concrete; that is why it offers

much better workability compare to control concrete. [ CITATION Rah09 \l 13321 ]. A consistent result in all

researches shows that CHS concrete offers superior workability than regular concrete. Having much better

workability means concrete is easier to handle during the mixing process. [ CITATION Ose13 \l 13321 ].

Methodology

The Researcher uses secondary data analysis method to determine the effectivity of utilizing

coconut husk and coconut shell in the production of concrete hollow blocks. Secondary data analysis is

used for the reanalysis of previously collected data [ CITATION Pun05 \l 13321 ]. Although it has inherent

weaknesses, secondary data analysis remains valuable since the data collected are coming from published

journals and researches that are deemed accurate and reliable [ CITATION Kee97 \l 13321 ]. Secondary

data posed no problems since data collections are done by experienced researchers [CITATION Ste94 \l

13321 ]. The Researcher collects data from various researches concerning the utilization of coconut husk

and coconut shells in concrete and analyzes these collected data to come up with a conclusive result
regarding the effectivity of the integration of coconut husk and coconut shell in the production of concrete

hollow blocks.

On a study conducted by Ganiron, et al. (2017) and Aquino (2018), the materials were collected

and screened before proceeding to the actual experiment. As the production starts, the coconut shells are

crushed, and fibers are stripped from the coconut husk. Then, the amount of sand, cement, coconut shell,

and coconut husks was measured to obtain the proper amount of each material. The dry materials are

blended, and a small amount of water was added. The concrete was then mixed for around six to eight

minutes. The concrete mix was molded into a 100mm x 400mm x 800mm hollow blocks and was set to

cure for 28 days.

Results

Table 1 indicates the comparison of commercial concrete hollow blocks (CHB) and hollow blocks

with coconut shell and fiber (HBsf) based on its physical properties gathered from the researches of

Ganiron, et al. (2017) and Aquino (2018). Both researches experimented with a 100mm x 400mm x 800mm

since it is the common hollow blocks used construction such as walls and panels. Both of them observed

the color through visual inspection. The two specimens from two researches both have the same rough

texture. Both data from the two researches show that HBsf has a darker color compared to the CHB and a

lower density with HBsf having a density of 1213.59 kg/m 3 while CHB has 1529 kg/m3.

Table 1. Physical properties of HB

Property Commercial CHB HB with coconut shell and fiber

(HBsf)
Color Gray Dark Gray
Texture Rough Rough
 Size 100x 400x 800mm 100x 400x 800mm
Density 1529 kg/m3 1213.59 kg/m3

Table 2 indicates the comparison in the compressive strength of CHB and HBsf based on the

experiment conducted by Aquino (2018). The CHB with 28 days curing time reached an average load

of 14.77 kN and a stress capacity of 0.57 MPa to 0.8 MPa. Contrary to HBsf with the same curing age

reached an average load of 38.49 kN and a stress capacity of 1.67 MPa to 2.11 MPa. On the other

hand, table 3 shows the comparison in compressive strength of CHB and HBsf based on the

experiment conducted by Ganiron, et al. (2017). In his experiment, The CHB with 28 days curing time

reached an average load of 26.07 kN and a stress capacity of 1.22 MPa to 1.31 MPa. While the HBsf

with the same curing age reached an average load of 75.21 kN and a stress capacity of 3.16 MPa to

4.13 MPa, both data shows that HBsf has a higher load and stress capacity compared to CHB.

Table 2. Compressive strength test 1

Commercial CHB HB with Coconut Shell and fiber

Time Stress Stress
Specimen Load (kN) Specimen Load (kN)
(Days) (MPa) (MPa)
1 17.58 .8 1 43.5 2.11
28 2 11.65 .57 2 34.42 1.67
3 15.07 .73 3 37.56 1.82

Table 3. Compressive strength test 2

CHB CHB with Coconut Shell and fiber

Time Stress Stress
Specimen Load (KN) Specimen Load (KN)
(Days) (MPa) (MPa)
1 27.07 1.31 1 65.00 3.16
28 2 25.09 1.22 2 75.63 3.67
3 26.06 1.27 3 84.99 4.13
 Table 4 indicates the comparison in modulus elasticity of CHB and HBsf based on the experiment

conducted by Aquino (2018). CHB with 28 curing time obtained an average modulus elasticity of 525 MPa

while HBsf with the same curing time obtained an average modulus elasticity of 1400.17 MPa. On the other

hand, table 5 shows the comparison in modulus elasticity of CHB and HBsf based on the experiment

conducted by Ganiron et al. (2017). CHB with 28 curing time obtained an average modulus elasticity of 950

MPa while HBsf with the same curing time obtained an average modulus elasticity of 8220 MPa. Both data

show that HBsf has a higher modulus elasticity compared to commercial CHB.

Table 4. Modulus Elasticity 1

Time Modulus Elasticity (MPa)

(Days) Specimen Commercial CHB HB with coconut shell and fiber
1 600 1582.5
28 2 427.5 1252.5
3 547.5 1365.5

Table 5. Modulus Elasticity 2

Time Modulus Elasticity (MPa)

(Days) Specimen Commercial CHB HB with coconut shell and fiber
1 982.50 2370.00
28 2 915.00 2752.50
3 952.50 3097.50

Table 6 indicates modulus of rupture in CHB with coconut shell and fiber based on experiment

conducted by Aquino (2018). CHBsf with the 28 days curing time obtained an average modulus of rupture

of 0.391. On the other hand, table 7 indicates modulus of rupture in CHB with coconut shell and fiber based

on experiment conducted by Ganiron et al. (2017). CHBsf with the 28 days curing time obtained an average

modulus of rupture of 0.401.

Table 6. Modulus of rupture 1

 Time ( Days) Specimen CHB with Coconut shell and

Fiber
28 1 0.441
2 0.350
3 0.382

Table 7. Modulus of rupture 2

Time ( Days) Specimen CHB with coconut shell and

fiber
28 1 0.3733
2 0.4020
3 0.4270

Table 8 indicates the comparison in moisture content of CHB and HBsf based on the experiment

conducted by Aquino (2018). Based on the result, Hbsf has higher moisture content than CHB. On the

other hand, table 7 indicates the comparison in moisture content in CHB with coconut shell and fiber based

on experiment conducted by Ganiron et al. (2017). It also shows that Hbsf has higher moisture content than

CHB.

Table 8. Moisture Content 1

Specimen CHB CHB with coconut shell and fiber

Weight (kg) 5.2 7.8
Dry weight (kg) 5.0 7.6
Saturated weight (kg) 5.4 7.8
% Water absorption 4.0 2.63

Table 9. Moisture Content 2

Specimen Commercial of CHB CHB with coconut shell & fiber

Weight (Kg) 5.2 7.8
Oven dry weight (Kg) 5.0 7.6
 Saturated weight (Kg) 5.4 7.8
% Moisture content 8.0 5.41
% Water absorption 4.0 2.63

Table 10 indicates the comparison in Thermal Conductivity at cold temperature of CHB and HBsf

based on the experiment conducted by Aquino (2018). When it comes to load and stress capacity in cold

temperature, HBsf has a greater capacity. On the other hand, table 11 indicates the comparison in Thermal

Conductivity at cold temperature of CHB and HBsf based on the experiment conducted by Ganiron et al.

(2017). It also shows that when it comes to load and stress capacity in cold temperature, HBsf has a

greater capacity.

Table 10. Thermal Conductivity at cold temperature 1

Specimen CHB CHB with Coconut shell and fiber

Weight (Kg) 12.4 10.6
Load (KN) 12.87 96.69
Stress (MPa) 0.62 4.69

Table 11. Thermal Conductivity at cold temperature 2

Specimen CHB CHB with Coconut shell and fiber

Weight (Kg) 12.4 10.6
Load (KN) 12.87 96.69
Stress (MPa) 0.62 4.69

Table 12 indicates the Thermal Conductivity at hot temperature of HBsf based on the experiment

conducted by Aquino (2018). In hot temperature, HBsf have an average weight capacity of 9.6kg, average

load of 55.225 KN and stress capacity of 2.97 MPa. On the other hand, table 13 indicates the comparison

in Thermal Conductivity at hot temperature of HBsf based on the experiment conducted by Ganiron et al.
(2017). In hot temperature, HBsf have an average weight capacity of 9.6kg, average load of 55.225 KN and

stress capacity of 2.97 MPa.

Table 12. Thermal conductivity at hot temperature 1

Specimen Weight (Kg) Load (Kg) Stress (MPa)

1 9.8 50.47 2.97
2 9.4 59.98 2.97

Table 13. Thermal Conductivity at hot temperature 2

Specimen Weight (Kg) Load (Kg) Stress (MPa)

1 9.8 50.47 2.97
2 9.4 59.98 2.97

Table 14 indicates the fire resistance of HBsf based on the experiment conducted by Aquino

(2018). It shows that HBsf can resist fire. On the other hand, table 15 indicates the fire resistance of HBsf

based on the experiment conducted by Ganiron et al. (2017). It also shows that HBsf can resist fire.

Table 14. Fire Resistance 1

Specimen Weight (Kg) Load (Kg) Stress (MPa)

1 9.8 68.32 3.38
2 9.4 59.98 2.97

Table 15. Fire Resistance 2

Specimen Weight (Kg) Weight (Kg) Stress (MPa)

1 9.8 68.32 3.38
2 9.4 59.98 2.97
 Table 16. Good Indicator of coconut shell and fibers as aggregate

Good indicators Significance

1. Particles shape and texture Affects workability of fresh concrete.
2. Resistance to crushing In high strength concrete, aggregate is low in

crushing value. This will not give high strength

even though cement strength is higher.

3. Absorption and surface moisture Affects the mix proportions and control of water

content to maintain water-cement ratio.

4. Grading Economizes cement content and improves

workability.
5. Resistance to freezing and heating Significant to cold countries where frost action

deteriorates concrete due to alternate freezing and

heating.
6. Lightweight Reduces weight of structures.

Concrete hollow blocks with coconut fibers and coconut shell (HBsf) is a potential alternative for

pure-cement concrete hollow blocks (CHB) to be used in building constructions especially as a non-load

bearing material for wall panels and partitions. Throughout the experiment conducted by Ganiron, et al.

(2017) and Aquino (2018), HBsf shows consistent significant results compared to the usual pure-cement

concrete hollow blocks. HBsf obtains the highest average loads and stress compared to commercial CHB.

Its fire resistance, low thermal conductivity, and resistance to crushing, absorption, and surface moisture

proved its superiority compare to commercial CHB. This opens a possibility for a new construction material

that is a more durable, lightweight, economical, and eco friendly alternative to the construction materials we

have today.
Recommendation

Due to limited equipment time constraints, the Researcher was not able to conduct actual

experiments to determine the actual effects of the integration of coconut husk in making concrete hollow

blocks. Thus, the Researcher recommends performing actual experiments to obtain a more concrete result

regarding the integration of coconut husk fibers in the production of concrete hollow blocks.

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