This study investigates the impact of incorporating Juncus fibers (JF) into compressed earth blocks (CEBs) stabilized with varying Portland cement contents, aiming to enhance local construction materials’ performance and reduce housing costs. CEB composites were produced with soil stabilized using different cement contents (4%, 8%, and 12% by weight) and JF reinforcement (0 to 0.2% by weight), compressed at 10 MPa with a hydraulic press. After 28 days of drying, the CEBs underwent diverse experimental characterizations to assess their physical, mechanical, thermal, and durability properties. The results revealed that incorporating JF led to a reduction in unit weight, ultrasonic pulse velocity (up to 36%), and dry compressive strength (approximately 17%). Higher fiber content correlated with increased water absorption and an increased capillarity coefficient. Thermal conductivity analysis indicated improved thermal performance, decreasing from 0.4350 W/m·K (12% cement without fibers) to 0.2465 W/m·K (4% cement with 0.2% JF). Despite the decrease in mechanical strength, CEBs with lower cement (4%) and higher fiber content (0.2%) demonstrated satisfactory durability (abrasion and erosion) and thermal insulation properties. This research suggests the potential of this material as a promising composite for the building materials industry. The findings contribute valuable insights into sustainable construction materials and have implications for cost-effective housing solutions.

This paper investigates enhancing the mechanical properties and crack resistance of earth-sand building materials by incorporating Alfa fibers, derived from the Alfa plant. Earth-based construction materials, known for their sustainability, face challenges in mechanical performance and cracking. The study explores a composite of earth (60 wt%) and sand (40 wt%) reinforced with Alfa fibers of varying lengths and rates. Tensile strength and water absorption of the fibers were assessed, and prismatic specimens (40x40x160 mm3 ) with different cutting lengths were tested. Results inform the potential of Alfa fibers for improving earth-based material performance. Incorporating 2% wt of Alfa fibers reduced the unit weight of the composite from 1849 kg/m3 to 1632 kg/m3 , resulting in a slight material weight decrease. Compared to unreinforced adobe specimens, fibrous samples exhibited lower linear shrinkage rates and improved mechanical behavior, with 2% wt of 3 cm fibers showing optimal performance. The fibers effectively impeded crack propagation, with both length and content influencing crack attenuation. However, microstructural observation revealed poor fiber/matrix adhesion, negatively impacting adobe specimen compactness despite enhanced mechanical properties.

The main aim of this work is to investigate the effect of Alfa fiber length and quantities on linear shrinkage, mechanical strength, and failure manner of the reinforced material as compared to the unreinforced mix, by the incorporation of Alfa fibers in earth-sand building material. The earth-based composite consisted of a mixture of earth 60 wt% and sand 40 wt% reinforced with various lengths and rates of fibers extracted from the Alfa plant. First, fibers' tensile strength and water absorption were evaluated to understand their behavior. Moreover, tests have been conducted on prismatic specimens 40x40x160 mm3 with different cutting lengths (1, 2, and 3 cm). These fibers were added to soil at various weight ratios (1%, 1.5%, and 2%). The results have indicated that the incorporation of 2%wt of fibers reduced the unit weight from 1849 kg/m3 to 1632 kg/m3, which results in a slight material. The experimental investigation has shown also that the unreinforced adobe specimens had a high linear shrinkage rate and low mechanical behavior compared to fibrous samples. Specially, specimens with a higher fiber content of 2%wt of 3 cm length were revealed to be the most suitable in terms of mechanical behavior. Moreover, fibers prevent and delay crack propagation, where fiber length and content play a principal role in crack attenuating. Despite the improvement of mechanical properties, the microstructural observation of the reinforced composite shows poor fiber/matrix adhesion, which affects negatively the compactness of the adobe specimens.

This study focuses on the development, characterization, and numerical simulation of novel composite materials based on natural vegetable fibers for applications in civil engineering. Three different bio-based composites were formulated using Alfa plant fibers, wood waste, and an equal mixture of both (50% Alfa, 50% wood), with polyvinyl acetate (PVAc), a non-polluting polymer matrix, as the binder. The performance of these composites is strongly influenced by the fiber morphology, structural characteristics, and the nature of the matrix. Thus, understanding and optimizing these parameters is crucial for tailoring materials to meet specific design requirements. The experimental approach began with the morphological and structural characterization of the raw and treated fibers, followed by the evaluation of the thermal a properties of the resulting composites. Furthermore, thermal conductivity simulations were performed using COMSOL Multiphysics to validate the experimental results and gain deeper insights into heat transfer behavior within the composites. A comparative analysis with conventional synthetic insulation materials revealed that the developed bio-composites offer competitive thermal performance while being more environmentally sustainable. These findings highlight the potential of Alfa and wood waste fibers as effective, eco-friendly alternatives for thermal insulation in building applications.