Study on Mechanical Properties of Environment Friendly Concrete Incorporating Banana Fiber and Banana Leaf Ash

Modern research is increasingly focused on the use of sustainable materials in concrete to increase its
mechanical properties in order to enhance its performance for different applications. Banana leaf ash has great potential to increase the compressive strength of concrete whereas banana fiber has been reported to increase the tensile strength. Therefore, the combined effect of both these materials in concrete needs to be elaborated. This experimental study investigates the influence of a 1.5% proportion of banana fiber and partial replacement of cement with banana leaf ash (10%) on the mechanical properties of concrete. Compressive testing and split tensile testing are employed. The results of this study demonstrate that the inclusion of banana fibers and banana leaf ash results in decreased compressive strength and increased tensile strength. The decrease in compressive strength for FRC is 9.18%. On the other hand, the increase in tensile strength for fiber-reinforced concrete (FRC) against plain concrete (PC) is 12.31%. The study provides valuable insights into the potential of banana-based additives in enhancing the performance of concrete, offering an eco-friendly approach for sustainable construction practices.