The long-term performance of cementitious composites reinforced with coir fibre

Effective prediction of the long-term performance of natural fibre-reinforced cementitious materials is vital for their application. In this study, coir fibres of two different average lengths were combined with cementitious materials and chemical agents to form coir fibre-reinforced cementitious composites (CFRCCs). The composites long-term performance was assessed and compared with two different accelerated ageing processes, i.e. a cement-saturated water ageing, and alternate freeze-thaw ageing. The flexural properties were compared with the properties of the reference mortar. Overall, the flexural strength of 400 days naturally aged CFRCC specimens was weaker than that of the reference mortar. The toughness and ductility of the fibre-reinforced specimens, however, improved. The cement-saturated water ageing method gave a precise prediction of the flexural strength development of 400-day-old specimens, and the freeze-thaw ageing method worked very well for the toughness performance estimation of CFRCCs.