Construction and Building Materials 240 (2020) 117856

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Construction and Building Materials

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/conbuildmat

Mechanical behaviour of cementitious composites reinforced with

bagasse and hemp fibers
Gonzalo Ruano a,⇑, Facundo Bellomo a, Guillermo López a, Alejandra Bertuzzi a, Liz Nallim a, Sergio Oller b
a
Icmasa, Iniqui Conicet, Engineering Faculty, National University of Salta, Avda. Bolivia 5150, 4400 Salta, Argentina
b
CIMNE International Center for Numerical Method Engineering, Spain, UPC, Technical University of Catalonia Barcelona Tech, Edif. C1, Campus Nord, Jordi Girona 1-3,
Barcelona 08034, Spain

h i g h l i g h t s

 The composite behavior was studied as function of matrix and vegetable fibers contribution.
 Pull-out tests are directly linked to composite behavior.
 In the pull-out tests hemp fibers are extracted while bagasse fibers sometimes break or slip.
 Bagasse fibers reinforcement leads to noticeable flexural strength increase.
 Hemp fibers reinforcement leads to noticeable flexural toughness increase.

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: Vegetable fibers are increasingly used in composites because of their good mechanical properties and low
Received 17 July 2019 carbon footprint; composites made with vegetable fibers are considered greener and have mechanical
Received in revised form 29 November 2019 and thermal applications. The effect of hemp and sugarcane bagasse fibers in the flexural behavior of
Accepted 11 December 2019
cementitious matrix composites was studied. The overall behavior of the composite was studied through
the contribution of its components. Tensile properties of the fibers were tested to determinate their
potential as reinforcement material. Pull-out tests were carried out to assess the fiber-matrix interaction.
Keywords:
In the pull-out assays, more than a third of the bagasse fibers were broken with very small displacements,
Natural fibers
Composite materials
while all the hemp fibers were completely pulled out. The flexural behavior of the composite was eval-
Sugarcane bagasse uated by three-point flexure test on notched beams. Bagasse fiber increased flexural strength while hemp
Hemp fibers increased the composite toughness. The fibers pull-out tests resulted useful to predict the compos-
Portland cement ite flexural behavior.
Ó 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction
Plant fibers are a type of natural renewable fibers that could be
used to produce composites that satisfy cost and strength require-
ments [1]. Usually natural fibers are wastes of industrial and agri-
culture activities [2].
Plant or vegetable fibers are structures themselves; they could
be classified in elementary fibers or fibers bounded that form tech-
nical fibers [3]. According to Ferreira et al. [4] natural fibers
microstructure is complex and heterogeneous. For this reason,
when these kinds of natural fibers are used with cementitious
matrices, the interaction between both is especially affected. At
different material scales (i.e., macro, micro, and nano), vegetable
⇑ Corresponding author.
E-mail address: gonzalo.ruano@conicet.gov.ar (G. Ruano).
fibers are a hierarchical structure, each one with different size
and morphology [5]. Microscopically, the structure of natural fibers
consists of several lumens wrapped by diverse layers of cell wall
with different micro-fibril orientations [1]. Fibers with micro-
fibrils aligned with their axis are stiffer [1]. These micro-fibrils
are also structures, composed of strong crystalline and soft and
irregular amorphous molecular chains with different orientations.
In a bigger scale, natural fiber could have knobs and different sur-
face roughness [1], that add mechanical/anchorage components
[6]. Some botanical natural fibers are multilayered and, if the bond
between layers is weaker than the bond between fibers and com-
posite matrix, they could be separated [7]. Vegetable fibers are
constituted of hemicellulose, cellulose, pectin, wax and lignin [8].
The presence of hemicellulose establish the hydrophilic nature of
these fibers [8].

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2019.117856
0950-0618/Ó 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
2 G. Ruano et al. / Construction and Building Materials 240 (2020) 117856
The structure of natural fibers depends on the age, origin and
climate conditions of the plant [1] which, in turn, define the
mechanical, physical, and chemical properties, that present impor-
tant variations [9]. The technique of extraction also can influence
the mechanical performance of the fibers [9].
The natural fibers morphology includes irregular cross section
(i.e., a shape very different from a circular one), axial twisting rota-
tion of the transverse section, and surface roughness [4]; all this
features affect the bond between matrix and fiber.
The use of natural fibers as reinforcement for cementitious
matrix has great potential [10]. Each fiber has specific characteris-
tics that affect their reinforcement performance and contribution
in the composite, this was studied by several authors. e.g. Savas-
tano et al. [11] related the flexural response with the fiber mor-
phology for cementitious composites reinforced with sisal fibers,
banana and eucalyptus grandis pulp. The behavior of cementitious
matrix reinforced with treated sisal yarns was studied [12]. Also
compressive and flexural strength of hemp fibers reinforced com-
posites was considered [13]. Xie et al. [14] analyzed impact behav-
ior of bamboo fiber reinforced concrete (FRC) and flexural
properties. The influence of harvesting time of Spanish broom
fibers in FRC mechanical performance was considered [15].
The versatility of natural fiber reinforced cementitious compos-
ites has given rise to several applications. Some authors studied
their use for strengthening of masonry structures [16,17]. Sand-
wich panels combining Sisal Fiber and lightweight concrete was
developed [18]. And the contribution of Wheat Straw in reinforced
concrete was analyzed [19].
Cementitious composites with hybrid fiber reinforcement were
also studied [20,21].
The cementitious matrix is a highly alkaline environment that
affects the fiber performance, limiting composite durability,
increasing fiber fracture, and decreasing pull-out force. Also the
matrix fiber compatibility is not usually optimal. To overcome
these negative effects, two strategies are commonly used: modifi-
cation of the matrix composition [22,23] and/or physical/chemical
treatment of the fibers [24–30]. The optimum approach requires an
equilibrium between sustainability, economic viability, and ease of
implementation [5,2].
Matrix-fiber bonding allows the stress transfer from the matrix
to the fibers [24]. Fiber pull-out is the process to extract a fiber
from a matrix, which is responsible of the composite failure after
matrix cracking [31,32]. Mechanically, the most important differ-
ence is found in tension [6]. In natural fibers, besides the extrac-
tion, other processes could be developed, e.g., debonding, retting,
decortification, scotching or hackling that are a consequence of
the fibers structure [3]. Pull-out resistance is mainly a function of
interfacial bond area, so the embedded length is critical and
shorter fibers are pulled-out while the longer ones tend to break
[32,25]. It is clear that, to predict the composite behavior, is not
enough to consider the matrix and fiber mechanical properties,
but is essential to include the fiber/matrix interfacial properties
[33]. The pull-out behavior was studied in the aforementioned
work, but to our knowledge, it was not studied explicitly the com-
posite behavior for sugar cane bagasse and hemp fibers.
In the present work, pull-out tests of plant fibers from a cemen-
titious matrix were carried out in order to understand and to
explain the composite mechanical behavior. The entire stress-
displacement curves of the pull-out tests were taken into account,
as an essential aspect for the analysis of the post-cracking compos-
ite behavior. For the characterization of the composite, flexional
behavior samples were tested through three point notched bend-
ing beams. Finally, the concluding remarks of the present work
allowed a better understanding of the role of each component of
the composite material and their interaction. The bagasse and
hemp fibers displayed a very different reinforcement effect on
the composite behavior. These effects were evident from the
pull-out analyses.
2. Experimental program
Several tests were performed to obtain the mechanical proper-
ties of the composite and its constituents. Morphologically fibers
were characterized by SEM images. Individual fibers were typified
through uniaxial tension tests. Embedded single fiber were pulled
out from a cement mortar matrix to study the interaction between
components and the reinforcement effect. The composite behavior
was tested in prismatic notched beams in three-point flexure.
Two different fibers were used, sugarcane bagasse and hemp. In
particular, bagasse fibers were obtained from a sugar mill located
in the province of Salta, Argentine. Hemp fibers were provided by
a local supplier for industrial use.
Bagasse fibers were sieved to eliminate big fragments, dust and
other small particles using sieves N°8 and N°200. Hemp fibers were
washed with water similarly to what was done by Ferreira et al.,
who washed the fibers to eliminate any residue [4]. Also, Soltan
et al. cleaned the fibers by soak to remove contaminants from
the fiber surfaces and to ensure fiber-matrix bonding [9]. Later
hemp fibers were cut into a length of about 6 mm. This fiber length
provided the highest composite strength for preliminary results.
The matrix was prepared with Portland cement (CPC30 [34])
and sand. The mix proportion employed for the mortar specimens
is shown in Table 1. This mortar dosage was designed to reach a
strength of 40 MPa.
2.1. Fiber morphological characterization
The fibers microstructure was assessed by a series of Scanning
Electron Microscopy (SEM) images, using a JEOL JSM 6480 LV scan-
ning microscope (Japan). Samples were cryo-fractured by immersion
in liquid nitrogen and stored at 25 °C over silica gel. Then, samples
were mounted on aluminum stubs and coated with gold plasma.
Samples were observed using an accelerating voltage of 15 kV.
2.2. Tensile tests
The uniaxial tensile tests were devised using ASTM Standard
[35] as a guide for the experimental setup. The fibers were glued
to a paper mounting tab similar to Ferrerira et al. [4], but with
gauge length of 50 mm for hemp fibers and 20 mm for bagasse
fibers. The axial tests were performed under displacement con-
trolled loading conditions at a rate of 1 mm/min using a QTS 256
(Brookfield Engineering Labs, USA). The maximum force measured
in the tests was divided by the transverse section area to obtain the
fibers tensile strength, as will be explained next.
2.3. Pull-out tests
In order to characterize the individual contribution of the fibers
to the composite behavior, a series of pull-out test were performed.
Fiber pull-out tests were performed on single fiber embedded in
the mortar matrix after 7 days of curing, similarly to the procedure
of Ferreira et al. [4], and tested under displacement control.
Approximately 40% of the bagasse fibers are comprehended
Table 1
Mortar dosage.
Materials Mortar
Cement [kg/m3] 757
Water [kg/m3] 288
Sand FM = 3.1 [kg/m3] 1032
 G. Ruano et al. / Construction and Building Materials 240 (2020) 117856
between 12 and 20 mm. A mean length of 16 mm was adopted as
representative for this fiber fraction and consequently, an embed-
ded length of 8 mm was adopted. Following the same reasoning, a
4 mm embedded length was adopted to represent the 3 to 12 mm
fiber range that accounts for approximately the other 40% of the
fiber lengths. Fibers of less than 3 mm length were disregarded
for these tests. The length of the hemp fibers used in the flexural
tests was 6 mm. For this fibers a 3 mm embedded length was
adopted, while the matrix dosage follows the one depicted in
Table 1. Specimens were tested in a QTS 256 (Brookfield Engineer-
ing Labs, USA) machine with displacement control at a rate of
1.0 mm per minute. The cross-sectional area of the fibers was
quantified with optic microscopy as described in next section.
The stress was obtained dividing the force by the cross-sectional
area of the fiber.
2.4. Flexural tests
The improvement of the tensile behavior of the composite due to
fiber reinforcement was studied through testing notched beams in
flexure. The dimensions of the mortar beams reinforced with natu-
ral fibers were 100x100x400mm. They were tested under three
points flexure with 350 mm spam. The depth of the notch was
15 mm in the center of the beam. The specimens were built in pris-
matic molds and were notched after 28 days of curing (Fig. 1).
Beams were tested applying a displacement rate of 0.5 mm/min.
Three groups of 4 beams were casted, one group was plain mor-
tar for reference, and the other two were reinforced with natural
fibers according to the description given in Table 2. Bagasse and
hemp fibers were employed as reinforcement. Bagasse fibers were
used raw, i.e., as provided (not treated bagasse). In the case of
hemp fibers, they were washed with warm water and dried. We
observed that using raw hemp fibers produced a delay in the
matrix setting time. This was avoided by washing and removing
soluble components. In Table 2 the fibers dosage is given in weight.
The concrete mixer used was a 120 L rotating machine. Bagasse
fibers were mixed with sand before adding the other materials. In
our experience this procedure allows a better fiber distribution in
the mix. On the other hand, hemp fibers were added within the
mixing water at last, because hemp fibers were added wet and this
technic seems to give a more homogeneous fiber distribution.
The beams were cast in individual molds in two layers and com-
pacted in a shaking table. Then, they were cured under water for
28 days; after that, they were notched.
3. Results and discussion
3.1. Fiber morphological characterization
For both kind of fibers, the cross section consists of a series of
fiber cells interlinked by a hemicellulose and lignin lamella
Fig. 1. Geometry of notched beams.
3
(Fig. 2). Hemp fibers are constituted by a smaller number of fibers
cells than bagasse fibers, showing a more uniform microstructure
regarding the size and distribution of fiber cells.
The geometric and mechanical properties of natural fibers pre-
sent high scatter that can be attributed to the irregular morphology
of the fibers [4]. Because of the variability of the cross section and
morphology of vegetal fibers, mechanical properties should be
understood as a distribution rather than discrete values [9]. The
cross sectional area of plant fibers is an important source of error
in the tensile strength calculations. One of the easiest way to mea-
sure the fiber cross sectional area is to consider a simplified geo-
metrical shape, regrettably this is generally inaccurate. True cross
section can be 1.42 to 2.55 times lower than the apparent circular
one [3]. Using an elliptical equivalent shape provides slightly bet-
ter results [9,36]. With the aim of achieving a better approxima-
tion, the fiber area was determined by optic microscopy. A fiber
cross section area shows a slight variation along the fiber axis. Con-
sequently to estimate a fiber area several measurements at differ-
ent points along the fiber length were taken and averaged. This
area value was used for the computation of stresses in tensile
and pull out tests.
The cross sectional area values measured for different fiber
specimens showed substantial differences with a Coefficient of
Variation (CV) of 0.29 for bagasse fibers. In the case of the hemp
fibers, the scatter of the mean cross sectional areas values was
slightly smaller, presenting a CV of 0.26. The cross sections of the
bagasse fibers were larger than those of the hemp fibers (Fig. 3).
Bagasse fiber areas ranged from 25000 mm2 to 225000 mm2, while
the areas of hemp fibers were smaller than 25000 mm2.
3.2. Tensile tests
Fig. 4 shows typical stress–strain curves for bagasse and hemp
fibers. The stress–strain relationship is practically lineal until the
failure. This is characteristic of cellulosic fibers.
Bagasse uniaxial tensile tests showed a mean strength of
82 MPa with s = 33 MPa (s is the standard deviation). The elastic
longitudinal modulus was around 5600 MPa with s = 2900 MPa.
Hemp uniaxial tensile tests showed a mean strength around
250 Mpa with s = 150 MPa. The elastic modulus was around
27000 MPa with s = 14000 MPa. In Fig. 5 the mean values and
the standard deviations are shown in grey, besides additional
spread information that is given by the box plots in black. The val-
ues obtained for the local fiber varieties are consistent with the
results published in the literature [37].
Considering the previous tests it can be concluded that hemp
fibers are 3 times stronger than bagasse, and almost 5 times stiffer.
Bagasse fibers cross sectional area are bigger than hemp fibers
because they are formed by a larger number of fiber cells [4] and
shows a more heterogeneous structure with considerable lumen
area. On the other side hemp fibers are more compact.
4 G. Ruano et al. / Construction and Building Materials 240 (2020) 117856

Table 2
Experimental campaign.

N° Description Specimens % Fibers Sieve Observation

1 Plain 4 –
2 Hemp 4 0.8 Clean, L = 6 mm
3 Bagasse 4 0.8 Retain 16

(a) Bagasse (b) Hemp

Fig. 2. Microstructure of (a) Sugarcane bagasse and (b) Hemp fibers.

0.4

0.3 Bagasse
Relative Frecuency

Hemp

0.2

0.1

0.0
0

00

00

00

00

00

00

00
00

00

00

00

50

00

50

00

50

00
25

50

75

10

12

15

17

20

22

25

2
Cross Sectional Area [µm ]
Fig. 3. Bagasse and Hemp fibers areas.
 G. Ruano et al. / Construction and Building Materials 240 (2020) 117856 5

200 500

400
150

Stress [MPa]
Stress [MPa]

300
100
200

50
100

0 0
0.00 0.01 0.02 0.03 0.04 0.05 0.000 0.005 0.010 0.015
Strain [] Strain []
(a) (b)
Fig. 4. Uniaxial tensile test (a) Bagasse, (b) Hemp.

500 500
Tensile Strength [MPa]

Tensile Strength [MPa]

400 400

300 300

200 200

100 100

0 0
(a) Hemp (b) Bagasse

50000 50000

40000 40000
E [MPa]

E [MPa]

30000 30000

20000 20000

10000 10000

0 0
(c) Hemp (d) Bagasse
Fig. 5. Tensile Strength and Elastic modulus (E) for Bagasse (b) (d) and Hemp (a) (c) fibers.

3.3. Fibers Pull-out
Fig. 6 shows some typical displacement-stress curves for
bagasse fibers. Different behaviors were observed, in some cases,
the fiber displacement-stress relationship shows a linear behavior
with a pronounced rate and a sudden failure at small displacement
values (up to 0.4 mm). In these cases, a clean fiber break, usually
very close to the mortar surface (black line), is observed. On the
other hand, some fibers achieved a peak stress value, and after that,
the stress value decreased progressively until failure at displace-
ment values similar to the fiber embedded length. This behavior
was associated with the fiber pull-out (black dots). In addition, a
mix of the two described behaviors can be observed, where some
of the fibrils that form the fiber were broken and the rest of the
fiber were pulled-out. Traditional fibers for reinforced concrete,
e.g., steel or polypropylene fibers, are simple fibers with a homoge-
neous structure. On the contrary, vegetal fibers, as bagasse and
hemp, consist of a bundle of cellulose fibers joined by hemicellu-
6 G. Ruano et al. / Construction and Building Materials 240 (2020) 117856

140 140
4mm Break 8mm Break

120 4mm Pull-out 120 8mm Pull-out

100 100

Stress [MPa]
Stress [MPa]

80 80

60 60

40 40

20 20

0 0
0 2 4 6 8 10 0 2 4 6 8 10
Displacement [mm] Displacement [mm]
(a) (b)
Fig. 6. Pull-out Bagasse campaign. (a) 4 mm embedded length (b) 8 mm embedded length.

lose and lignin arranged in tube-like structures with inner lumens.
This could explain their structural behavior and the wide variety of
failure types that they present.
Some examples of the typical stress-displacement relationship
for the hemp fibers are depicted in Fig. 7. The stress values pre-
sented a significant variation among the different fiber specimens
but the overall behavior corresponded to fiber pull-out after the
stress peak.
The results of the pull-out tests were processed to estimate the
average contribution of the hemp fiber. The curve of the mean val-
ues was obtained averaging the stress measurements of the tests
for the same pull-out displacement. The range of displacement
equals the entire fiber embedded length. This procedure results
in a smoothed curve because generally, the peak stress values do
not correspond to the same displacement among different pull-
140
120
100
Stress [MPa]
outs However, this smooth curve gives an estimate of the overall
fiber pull-out behavior.
Fig. 8 (a) shows the mean and envelope curve for bagasse pull-
outs of 4 mm fibers. The mean curve shows an initial stress peak
that drops for displacement larger than 0.4 mm and after that
shows a small residual stress. For that reason, the contribution of
these fibers to the composite is expected to be more prominent
during the early stages. For the 8 mm fibers (Fig. 8 (b)) the higher
stress values are spread along 0–0.8 mm displacement range and
the post peak stress values are lower. Bagasse fibers are composed
of several interlinked cells tubes and thus they exhibit structural
behavior. This was more noticeable in longer fibers.
On the other hand, hemp fibers showed a lower initial slope and
after the peak a very progressive decrease in the stress. For these
reason, the contribution of these fibers in composite materials
could be significant for a much wider range of displacement.
Fig. 9 shows the maximum stress values reached in the pull-out
tests for bagasse and hemp fibers. The stress interval used was
25 MPa. It should be noted that the maximum values are not pro-
duced for the same displacement, and that is the reason for the dif-
ference of the values between these (shown in Fig. 9) and the
previous shown in Fig. 8. For this histogram, it is clearly seen that
bagasse fibers pull-outs have maximum values clustered around
75 to 100 MPa; meanwhile hemp fibers pull-outs maximums are
more scattered.

80 3.4. Flexure of notched beams

60 In the composite vegetable fibers acts like a sponge and catch

water from the cement mortar, this agree with Fonseca et al. [38]
40 that for sisal micro/nanofibrils found increase of water absorption.
In Fig. 10, the mean response of the three groups are shown.
Plain mortar beams reached a maximum load value of approxi-
20 mately 3 kN and afterwards the load value dropped suddenly.
The load value of bagasse fiber reinforced mortar beams exceeded
0 4 kN, achieving a 25% strength increase. The peak load dropped,
0 2 4 6 8 10 almost as abruptly as in the case of Plain mortar. It can be con-
Displacement [mm] cluded that bagasse fibers increased the composite strength but
had not noticeable effect on the toughness. From the results of
Fig. 7. Hemp fiber pull-out. the tests and from the examination of failure surfaces of the beams
 G. Ruano et al. / Construction and Building Materials 240 (2020) 117856 7

120

Stress [MPa]
(a) 80
Bagasse 4mm
40

0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
120 Displacement [mm]
Stress [MPa]

80
(b)

Bagasse 8mm
40
0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
120 Displacement [mm]
Stress [MPa]

80 Hemp
(c)

40

0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Displacement [mm]
Fig. 8. Pull-out mean response (a) Bagasse 4 mm; (b) Bagasse 8 mm and (c) Hemp.

1.0

0.8 Hemp 4mm

Bagasse 4mm
Relative Frecuency

Bagasse 8mm
0.6

0.4

0.2

0.0
0-25 25-50 50-75 75-100 100-125 125-150 150-175 175-200 200-225
Stress [MPa]
Fig. 9. Maximum stress in pull-out tests. Bagasse and hemp.

it can be seen that most bagasse fibers break during the tests.
Finally, hemp fiber reinforced mortar beams were the only ones
able to sustain the load (around 2.8kN up to 0.4 mm of CMOD).
Afterwards, the load decreased progressively, i.e., not in a pro-
nounced way, like the bagasse. Examining the failure surface it
can be seen that most fibers were pulled out.
In Fig. 11 all the individual tests plus the mean values are
shown. In general, a less dispersion for the fiber reinforced mortar
than for the plain mortar can be seen.
The pull-out response of individual fibers is a very useful infor-
mation that allows to explain the composite behavior of the beams.
Several bagasse fibers broke in the pull-out tests achieving higher
stress values than fibers that were pulled out; This agree with the
behavior of the beams casted with bagasse fiber reinforced mortar
which exhibited a higher peak. On the other side, all the hemp
fibers in the pull-out tests were extracted from the matrix instead
of breaking and, consequently, it was expected that hemp rein-
forced beams would achieve a smaller maximum load value but
would be able to maintain it along a greater displacement range.
It is worthy to notice that there is a difference between the
fibers pull-out response and the behavior of fibers in the compos-
ite. This could be due the fibers used in the cast are damaged dur-
8 G. Ruano et al. / Construction and Building Materials 240 (2020) 117856

3
Bagasse
Load [kN]

Hemp
Plain
2

0
0 1 2 3 4 5
CMOD [mm]
Fig. 10. Load – CMOD.

ing the mixing process, resulting in a diminished response into the

composite.

4
4. Conclusions

3 Plain The aim of this work was to study the effect of hemp and sug-
Load [kN]

arcane bagasse fibers in the flexural behavior of cementitious mor-

2 tars. The composite behavior was assessed through the
components contribution. Both fibers have an important potential
as mortar reinforcement due to their high tensile strength. To
1 study the fiber contribution in the composite, pull-out tests were
carried out. These results were processed resulting in an average
0 contribution curve for each fiber type that is useful to provide rel-
0 1 2 3 4 5 evant information about of the effect of the fiber in the overall
CMOD [mm] strength, toughness and failure of the composite.
Some important issues to consider in natural fibers reinforced
4
composites are:
Load [kN]

3  Fibers interact actively with the fresh mortar. They catch water
Bagasse
from the fresh mix reducing the workability and altering the
2 cement paste hydration process.
 Natural fibers geometric and mechanic characterization have
1 high variability and it is important to consider an adequate
measurement methodology of the cross section to obtain more
0 accurate estimation of stress values.
0 1 2 3 4 5  Bagasse pull-out tests presented a high number of fiber break,
CMOD [mm] roughly 1/3 of the samples. In those cases, the fiber full strength
4 is recruited, which is consistent with the higher strength values
obtained in the flexure tests.
 Hemp fibers were pulled out, which would imply a lower com-
3
Load [kN]

posite strength but and increased toughness, allowing beams to

maintain the load for a wider displacement range.
2  Fibers pull-out tests are a promising tool to study and predict
Hemp composite flexural behavior.
1
CRediT authorship contribution statement
0
0 1 2 3 4 5 Gonzalo Ruano: Methodology, Investigation, Writing - original
CMOD [mm] draft, Writing - review & editing. Facundo Bellomo: Methodology,
Investigation, Writing - original draft, Writing - review & editing.
Fig. 11. 3 point flexure results.
Guillermo López: Investigation. Alejandra Bertuzzi: Supervision,
 G. Ruano et al. / Construction and Building Materials 240 (2020) 117856
Conceptualization. Liz Nallim: Supervision, Conceptualization.
Sergio Oller: Supervision, Conceptualization.
Declaration of Competing Interest
The authors declare that they have no known competing finan-
cial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared
to influence the work reported in this paper.
Acknowledgements
The authors wish to thank Facundo Isla and Structures Institute
‘‘Ing. Arturo Guzmán” UNT for collaborate in the experimental
campaign and the financial support of National Agency for Scien-
tific and Technological Promotion PICT 2015-2230, National Scien-
tific and Technological Research Council CONICET - PIP
11220150100132CO, National University of Salta A 2504/0.
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