Citation :

Andrés Marcillo, Alexis Andrade, Marcelo Guerra, Andrea Zárate, Kevyn Balseca, Juan Jaramillo, Oscar Cevallos, "Fresh and Hardened behavior of Self-Compacting Lightweight Concrete Reinforced with Sisal Fibers," International Journal of Civil Engineering, vol. 13, no. 8, pp. 241-254, 2026. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.14445/23488352/IJCE-V13I8P116

Abstract

This study presents the results of a lightweight self-compacting concrete reinforced with sisal fibers. Lightweight aggregates such as expanded clay, pumice, and expanded polystyrene were used as lightweighting materials, replacing up to 30% of the coarse aggregate by volume. Different volumetric fractions and lengths of sisal fibers were added: 0.1%, 0.2%, and 0.3% by volume, and 2.5 cm, 5.0 cm, and 7.5 cm in length. To analyze their influence on workability, the slump test and T500 were used; mechanical behavior was determined through compression and tensile tests at different curing times. The results showed that in the slump test, all mixtures fell within a range of 70 to 80 cm, and the T500 values ranged from 4.3 to 7.2 seconds, including the specimens with sisal fibers. Replacing coarse aggregate with lightweight aggregate and adding sisal fibers negatively affects compressive strength regardless of curing time; however, the presence of the fibers improves tensile strength.

Keywords

Lightweight self-compacting concrete, Lightweighting material, Organic fibers, Compressive and tensile strength, Density.

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