Abstract

Nowadays, most countries are looking forward at reducing Pollution; one

of the best solutions is using waste products as recycled materials. This not
only can develop sustainable environmental management, but also presenting
new materials for general use. The search for green or
environmentally friendly materials in the building industry
involves the development of new materials, but might also
lead to the reconsideration of traditional ones. The date palm
(Phoenix dactylifera) wastes are one of the common wastes abundantly
available in the Middle East countries.
A study has been conducted to look into the performance of date palm
wastes for enhancing concrete characteristics. The date palm wastes included
date palm fibers: leaf (L) and leaf stem (LS) fiber, date palm seed and leaf
stem ash. Leaf stem fibers were added to concrete mix by (0.4, 0.8 and 1.2)
% by volume, while leaf fibers were added by (0.4, 0.8 and 1) % by volume.
The date palm fibers were used untreated and treated with 1% NaOH
solution, then the untreated date palm fiber-concrete (ULS & UL) was
compared with treated date palm fiber-concrete (TLS & TL).
Date seed was used as partial replacement of sand at (3, 5, 7.5, 10 and 15)
% by weight and tested for compressive strength at the ages of 7, 28 and 90
days, date seed decreased compressive strength at all percentages.
10% Leaf stem ash (LSA) was used as partial replacement of cement and
tested for compressive strength for the ages of 7, 28 and 60 days.
Date palm fiber-concrete have been tested for the compressive, flexural and
splitting tensile strength, impact resistance, thermal conductivity and
ultrasonic pulse velocity.
Leaf stem fibers decreased compressive strength by 24.13% for ULS1.2
and 6.35% for TLS1.2, at age 120 days. However, it improved flexural,
splitting tensile strength and impact resistance by 6.86 % and 10.23% for
ULS0.4 and TLS0.4, by 7.62 % and 3.59% for ULS0.4 and TLS0.4, by
42.1% and 57.89% for ULS0.8 and TLS0.8, respectively at age 120 days.
Thermal conductivity of concrete was reduced by the addition of treated and
untreated leaf stem fiber; best fiber content was 0.8% for untreated and1.2%
for treated.
Leaf fibers improved compressive, flexural strength and impact resistance
by 9.37% and13.65% for UL1.0 and TL0.8, by 3.37% and 7% for UL1.0 and
TL1.0, and by to 94.74% and 131.58% for UL0.4 and TL1.0, respectively.
2
Abstract

However, it decreased splitting tensile strength by 9.87% and 8.3 % for

UL1.0 and TL1.0, respectively at the age of 120 days. Thermal conductivity
of concrete was reduced by the addition of treated and untreated leaf fiber;
best fiber content was 0.8 % for untreated and 1% for treated.
The present study demonstrated that the pozzolanic activity of leaf stem
ash (LSA) at curing ages of 7 and 28 days was 96.7% and 90.37%,
respectively. 10% LSA as partial replacement of cement improved the
compressive strength of concrete at curing ages 28 and 60 days.