Concrete Advantages Found in Jute Fibers

Researchers noted that interest in reinforcing cement compositions with economical, sustainable natural fibers instead of steel or synthetics is surging. Previous research showed that jute works as a reinforcement fiber, making cement compositions stronger and more resistant to cracks.

A new report from the American Chemical Society (ACS) has discovered the benefits of jute - the cheap fiber used to make burlap, twine and other common products - as an inexpensive, sustainable reinforcement for mortar and concrete.

The study appears in ACS' journal Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research.

A previous study proved that jute, which is second only to cotton as the most widely used natural fiber, reinforces cement compositions and improves resistance to cracks. Interest in using economical, sustainable natural fibers to reinforce cement - rather than steel or synthetic fibers - has grown dramatically in recent years. The reinforcement fibers are added to cement used in concrete and mortar, the world's most widely used building materials.

The new study discovered that adding jute fibers also delays the hardening of concrete and mortar, which must be trucked to construction sites. ''The prolonged setting of these fiber-reinforced cement composites would be beneficial for applications where the pre-mixed cement aggregates are required to be transported from a distant place to construction site,'' the report said.