Many environmental problems can be ascribed to agricultural waste. Millions of tonnes of agricultural waste, such as banana and date palm trees, are produced worldwide. Such waste is converted and recycled as natural fiber. On the other hand, a major problem of high-strength concrete (HSC) is the sudden failure at the ultimate capacity of concrete. To solve these problems, this work investigated the effects of using natural fiber waste to improve the brittle behavior of HSC. The natural fiber was treated with chemical solutions before recycling in concrete. Seven HSC mixes were designed; three mixes contained banana fiber (BF), the other three incorporated palm leaf sheath fiber (PLSF), and the last one was the control mix. The respective fiber volume fractions of BF and PLSF were 1%, 2% and 3%, and the aspect ratio was 100. The fresh and hardened properties, such as slump, compressive, tensile, flexural strengths and modulus of elasticity, of HSC with natural fiber were determined. In addition, microstructure analysis of natural fibers and HSC with natural fiber was performed through scanning electron microscopy. No substantial improvement was observed in the compressive strength of the natural fiber. The tensile strength of HSC increased when up to 2% PLSF was used. Compared with BF, PLSF yielded a higher enhancement in HSC properties. Both fibers demonstrated improved efficiency in enhancing the brittle behavior of HSC.

Metal waste recycling has become a global requirement owing to its environmental benefits and powerful economic activity. Metal nail waste (MNW) is a byproduct of metal nail manufacture. MNW has an equal size, contains a high ratio of iron, and has a high specific gravity comparable to normal aggregate. We present MNW recycling as a partial replacement for fine aggregates and electric arc furnace steel slag (EAFSS) as coarse aggregates to produce sustainable heavyweight concrete (HWC). Our main research aim was to study the radiation shielding and mechanical properties of sustainable HWC by partially replacing MNW with 10, 20, 30, and 40% sand. EAFSS is a coarse aggregate for 60% of the total volume. Fresh and hardened properties of HWC are presented. Furthermore, we analysed the internal structure of HWC mixes using a scanning electron microscope. Our results showed the positive effects of MNW on the unit weight of concrete. The density of HWC mixes ranges between 2650 and 3170 kg/m³. In addition, MNW contributes to increasing the compressive strength of concrete mixes with their use of up to 30%. Therefore, the MNW ratios improved the failure behaviour of HWC mixes. The improved linear attenuation coefficient of HWC mixes was due to using MNW ratios and higher densities than the reference mix.