Using Harakeke fibre in concrete

Abstract

Harakeke (Phormium tenax) is a monocotyledonous plant endemic to New Zealand. It shares structural and property similarities with other natural fibres, such as sisal, which have shown promise in improving certain concrete properties. This similarity suggests that harakeke fibres could also have potential benefits in concrete reinforcement. This study investigates the potential of using Harakeke fibres as a reinforcement material in concrete construction. Harakeke fibre-reinforced concrete was compared to plain concrete, steel fibre-reinforced concrete, and synthetic fibre-reinforced concrete. A total of 108 samples were prepared and tested at 7-day and 28-day intervals. The results demonstrate that Harakeke fibre-reinforced concrete provides reasonable performance in terms of flexural and tensile strength compared to steel or synthetic fibre-reinforced samples, however showing relatively less ductile behaviour. Overall, the preliminary results obtained from the project are promising. Further research and experiments are being planned to investigate other mixing scenarios and applications.