CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1 General Background

Bricks are one of the most components of a construction that commonly utilized in the
construction of wall, floor, cornices, and arches. A brick could be a small rectangular piece with
the ingredients comprises of clay, sand, lime, or cement (Janbuala & Wasanapiarnpong , 2016).
Brick density is a vital parameter that shows the weight of the brickwork. There are a few
properties of bricks that got to be considered, but the foremost imperative properties are
strength, which is the compressive strength of brick can shift from 3 N/mm² to 40 N/mm²
depending on raw materials utilized for making brick, manufacturing process and the shape of
brick (Fódi, 2011). Next properties are assimilation of brick which is dry brick assimilates as
well much water from mortar. It is why the mortar cannot be cured appropriately and develop
weak bond-strength. Last, the brick is made from clay and it is burned at high temperature
which competent it to resist extreme weathering affect. It nearly depends up on the resisting
capability of water penetration of bricks.

Concrete is a material that is normally used in contruction industry due to its properties.
Plain concrete compressive strength is excellent, yet weak in tensile strength (Jiang, et al.,
2014).Fibre reinforced concrete is promoted to improve several properties of concrete in the
fresh and hardened state (Panzera, et al., 2013). Analysts have found that if fiber are mixed into
plain concrete to create fiber strengthened concrete can develop better cracking deformation
capability, impact and tensile strength, and also reduce cracks due to temperature and shrinkage
(Panzera, et al., 2013) (Jiang, et al., 2014).

Concrete brick or concrete masonry is well known building materials used in many
countries all over the world. The rising world population has caused demand for building
infrastructure. This also increases waste generation, energy and material consumption by the
construction industry. In Malaysia, the demand of the concrete brick for housing construction
has increase day by day especially in urban area which the population rate is rapidly increased.
Due to high demand, the rate of housing prices also increased. The high prices of housing are
due to the increasing in the total cost of construction and limitation of raw materials. Hence,
the lightweight building materials such as lightweight concrete brick could benefits the
economy and society because it will minimise the construction cost in terms of manufacturing,
transportation and handling cost. In order to improve the concept of sustainability in
construction industry, the reuse of industrial by-products and renewable materials must be
applied (Onuaguluchi & Banthia, 2016).

1.2 Problem Statement

Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, and Malaysia are the three leading producers of sago,
whereby sago is primarily grown for sago starch. In Malaysia, more than 90.0% of all sago-
planting areas are in the state of Sarawak, which is one of the world’s largest sago exporter,
exporting about 41,000–51,000 tons of sago products annually to Peninsular Malaysia, Japan,
Taiwan and Singapore (Arsad, 2018). Currently, Malaysia is the third main sago producer in
the world after Indonesia and Papua New Guinea and combined, the three countries produce
approximately 94.6% of the world’s sago (Naim, et al., 2016). Since Sarawak produces a
significant amount of sago per year, the wasted sago palm trunk cortex is also a huge amount.
In Malaysia, according to the sago starch export data by the Department of Agriculture
Sarawak, the estimated solid waste generated from sago production is 151,000 tonnes. Hence,
sago fibre is proposed in this study because it is widely available in Sarawak. This project is to
investigate and compare the mechanical properties sago fibre reinforced lightweight concrete
brick and plain lightweight concrete brick. From a previous study, the fibre volume content for
sago fibre concrete brick is 50% (Umar, et al., 2020). This fibre volume content is taken as a
reference for sago fibre volume content.

1.3 Objectives of study

The objectives of this research is to compare the mechanical properties of plain concrete
with sago fiber strengthened concrete with fixed fibre volume content.
In order to achieve the aim of the study, the objectives are established as shown below:
 i. To investigate the optimum portion of sago fibre in concrete bricks.

ii. To investigate the mechanical properties of sago fibre on the absorption value,
compressive strength and flexural strength.

iii. To compare the compressive strength, flexural strength and water absorption of plain
concrete brick and sago fibre reinforced concrete brick.

1.4 Scope of study

In this research, sago fibre are added in different proportions in the mixture to the
lightweight brick. This project is to investigate and compare the mechanical properties sago
fibre reinforced lightweight concrete brick and plain lightweight concrete brick. There is no
published research on fibre reinforced concrete with the addition of sago fibre. From a previous
study, the fibre volume content for sago fibre concrete brick is 50% (Umar, et al., 2020). This
fibre volume content is taken as a reference for sago fibre volume content. Thus, the proportion
needed in this research are 0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50% of the sago fibre are add up into
the mixture.

This study focuses on the water absorption test, compressive strength and flexural
strength involving the use of different sago fibre percentage. The produced samples are made
out of sago fibre, sand, water and Ordinary Portland Cement, where the size of the bricks are
215mm in length, 102.5mm of width and 65mm of thickness based on BS 3921: 1985 (British
Standards Institution, 2015). As for the tests on the compressive strength and water absorption
test, the samples were tested on the 7th and 28th day. The purpose of test done on the 7th day is
to observe the condition of the samples on its premature state, as on the 28 th day, the sample
bricks can be classified as matured (Kabir, et al., 2012). As for the Flexural strength test will
be performed on the sample bricks based on ASTM C293 (ASTM International, 2016).This test
method covers determination of the flexural strength of concrete and masonry bricks specimens
by the use of a brick with center-point loading. All data acquired will be recorded.
 A total 216 samples of sand cement bricks were produced (Figure 1.1), where 72 of
them were used in compressive strength test and the other 72 were for water absorption test.
Another 72 of the samples will be used for flexural strength test(Figure 1.2).

Test No. of Speciments

Water Absorption Test 72
Compression Strength 72
Flexural Strength 72
Figure 1.1 Test Speciments

Percentages 0% 0% 0% 0%
Test days 7 28 56 90
No. Samples S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 S9 S10 S11 S12
Average
Figure 1.2 Group classification of samples

1.5 Significance of Study

The world largest sago exporter is Sarawak which exports about 51,000 tonnes of sago
products (Arsad, 2018). Sago palm trunk fibre is a by-product of sago starch extraction. The
starch is extracted from the sago palm pith which is the inner and softer part of the sago palm
trunk (Singhal, et al., 2008). From the large amount of sago being processed each year, the
wasted fibre generated from the production process is also a significant amount. According to
studies done by researchers, fibre is incorporated into plain concrete to form fibre reinforced
concrete in order to develop better cracking deformation capability, improve toughness, impact
and tensile strength and also reduce cracks due to temperature and shrinkage (Jiang, et al.,
2014).

The production of steel fibre, glass fibre and synthetic fibre require relatively high
energy for production. Natural fibre will be a more environmental-friendly material to be added
to concrete mix. Even though natural fibres have been shown to have the potential to be used
as fibre reinforcement for fibre reinforced concrete brick, the properties of sago fibre reinforced
concrete brick will be compared with plain concrete brick in this study to investigate the
probability of sago fibre in fibre reinforced concrete brick. Since sago fibre is a waste product,
the application of sago fibre in fibre reinforced concrete brick will help to reduce energy
consumption in the production of artificial fibre and maintain the quality of the environment to
promote the concept of sustainability.

1.6 Expected Results

The expectation from this study is fibre reinforced concrete brick will show a significant
better result that the standard concrete brick since natural fibre have a potential to increase the
mechanical properties of the brick