Influencia del tratamiento, tamaño y dosificación de las fibras de abacá en el mortero.

Abstract

This paper has the purpose of investigating the influence of the abaca fiber on mortar with different treatments, sizes and dosages. Three different treatments were made to the abaca fiber before being used in the mortar in order to avoid the degradation of the natural fiber when interacting with the cement components, decrease the water absorption of the fiber and improve the mechanical properties of the mortar. Doing flexion and setting time tests in order to choose the most appropriate treatment for abaca fibers. Subsequently, the chosen treatment was incorporated into the mortar using different sizes and dosages. By performing the same tests, the results could be compared and we could determine the most appropriate size and its corresponding dosage. The results indicated that the treatment of natural latex and silica fume was the most appropriate for the abaca fiber and it should be used with a length of 20 mm and a percentage of 0.4% in relation to the total weight of sand and cement that is used in the mixture.