The bending strength of Reactive Powder Concrete (RPC) rectangular beam with oil palm trunk fibre reinforcement / Dr Hamidah Mohd Saman, Rozita Aris and Prof. Madya Zakiah Ahmad

In the present investigation, the possibility of using Oil Palm Trunk Fibre Reinforced Plastic (OPTFRP) as a reinforcement to replace steel in concrete was studied. OPTFRP was produced by using PVC pipes of appropriate diameters filled with fibre bundles of oil palm trunks of arbitrary lengths, and then pressure-injected with polyester resin. The prepared FRP bars were then left to cure partially at room temperature prior to demoulding, after which further curing commenced indefinitely. Expecting that the OPTFRP is low in tensile strength compared to that of steel, the possibility of using Reactive Powder Concrete (RPC), a very high strength concrete, to compensate the lack of that tensile strength was explored. RPC is invented with its superior toughness where it is reported that the use of supplementary shear and other auxiliary reinforcing steels can be eliminated. Four (4) series of concrete beams consisted of two identical of RPC specimens and two identical specimens of Grade 30 concrete designated RPC(A)-Steel, RPC(B)-Steel, RPC(A)-OPTFRP, RPC(B)-OPTFRP, Grade 30(A)-Steel, Grade 30(A)-OPTFRP were prepared. The results showed that the capacity of moment resistance of RPC rectangular beam reinforced with steel is more than twice of those made of Grade 30 concrete. However, RPC reinforced with OPTFRP did not show any improvement in capacity to resist moment. The use of even RPC failed to enhance the capability of beam reinforced with OPTFRP to resist moment.