Experimental Study on the Thermal Characterization of PTF Concrete

In this paper, the thermal properties of concrete mix prepared with Palm Tree Fiber (PTF) are presented. The objective of the study is to investigate the effect of adding waste from agriculture to concrete on its thermal conductivity. The final goal is to reduce the buildings energy consumption by enhancing the insulation properties of structural concrete without compromise the integri ty of the structure. Therefore, the research has also investigated the effect of adding the natural PTF fiber on the mechani cal properties of concrete. This paper presents the thermal insulation research outcome of the PTF concrete. The testing protocol involved two methods: the thermal conductivity for small concrete cylinders and thermography of concrete slab using IR camera. Five families of concrete were prepared with increased amount of added PTF. It was found that adding PTF to concrete has enhanced the thermal insulation properties of concrete. Thermal conductivity test results as well as thermography test indicate that PTF can be used to increase the thermal resistance of concrete. The main disadvantage though is the high-water absorption of the fiber which detrimentally influences the mechanical properties of concrete. It is suggested that that the percentage of added fiber to structural concrete to be limited to 3% and to 4% for non-structural applications.