Open AccessUtilization of Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch in Cement Bricks
Author(s) -
Jen Hua Ling,
Yong Tat Lim,
Wen Kam Leong,
How Teck Sia
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
jacee (journal of advanced civil and environmental engineering)
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2599-3356
DOI - 10.30659/jacee.4.1.1-10
Subject(s) - absorption of water , cement , compressive strength , palm oil , raw material , materials science , pulp and paper industry , porosity , volume (thermodynamics) , biomass (ecology) , brick , casting , composite material , waste management , environmental science , chemistry , engineering , geology , agroforestry , physics , oceanography , organic chemistry , quantum mechanics
Oil palm empty fruit bunch (EFB) is a biomass waste abundantly produced by the oil palm industry in Malaysia. To minimize the environmental impacts, it needs to be properly disposed of or being rapidly consumed as a raw material of another industry. This study investigated the feasibility of substituting EFB in cement bricks, which is in high demand by the construction industry. A total of 120 specimens having the cement-to-sand (c/s) ratios of 1:2.5 and 1:3 were produced in the laboratory. EFB fibre was used to replace 10% to 25% of sand in the mix by volume. The specimens were tested for the compressive strength, density and water absorption after 28 days of casting. For the mix of 1:2.5 c/s ratio, 25% EFB content reduced 22% of density, decreased 59% of compressive strength and increased 43% of water absorption capacity of normal cement brick. This was mainly attributed to the porous cellular structure of EFB fibre that created a large volume of voids in the mix. Based on the feasibility evaluation, EFB fibre can only replace up to 15% and 10% of sand in the mixes of 1:2.5 and 1:3 c/s ratios respectively.