Experimental Investigation of Musa textilis Nee (Abaca) Textile-Reinforced Mortar as a Strengthening Material of Concrete Elements

Abstract

The growing demand for infrastructure, driven by population growth, necessitates sustainable construction practices to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Textile-reinforced mortar (TRM) presents a greener alternative to fiber-reinforced polymers (FRP) due to its cost-efficiency, simplicity, and thermal resistance in retrofitting structures. However, conventional TRM systems use synthetic, non-biodegradable fibers. This study investigates residual abaca fibers as sustainable reinforcement in TRM. Abaca fibers were treated with 5% sodium hydroxide (NaOH) to enhance matrix bonding and woven into double-ply geotextiles with 15×15 mm grid spacing. One-and two-layer TRM systems were evaluated through direct tensile and concrete confinement tests. The one-layer system achieved 35.40% higher tensile strength, while the two-layer system exhibited 8.09% greater ultimate strain. Compressive strength of TRM confined concrete increased by 25.52% and 51.32% for one-and two-layer systems, respectively. The use of natural abaca fibers in TRM contributes to the development of sustainable, high-performance materials for structural strengthening in green construction.