Experimental Evaluation of Sisal-Fibre-Reinforced Concrete Utility Blocks Containing Crushed Ceramic Tile as Fine Aggregate

Rahul R; Andavar P

doi:10.34256/ijceae2611

Rahul R Department of Civil Engineering, Jai Shriram Engineering College, Avinashipalayam-641665, India
Andavar P Department of Civil Engineering, Government College of Technology, Coimbatore-641013, India

DOI: https://doi.org/10.34256/ijceae2611

Keywords: Crushed Ceramic Tile, Fine-Aggregate Replacement, Sisal Fibre, Utility Block, Workability, Compressive Strength, Waste Valorisation

Abstract

This experimental study evaluates concrete utility blocks incorporating crushed ceramic tile as a partial replacement for fine aggregate and alkali-treated sisal fibre as reinforcement. Crushed tile replaced fine aggregate at 10%, 20%, 30%, and 40% by mass. After identifying the best-performing tile replacement, sisal fibre was added at 1.0%, 1.5%, and 2.0% by mass of cement. Workability was assessed by the slump test, and compressive strength was measured after 7, 14, and 21 days of water curing. Slump decreased from 130 mm for the control mixture to 45 mm at 40% tile replacement and decreased further with increasing fibre content, confirming reduced workability. Among the tile-modified mixtures, the 30% replacement mixture produced the highest compressive strengths of 27.476, 30.298, and 31.156 MPa at 7, 14, and 21 days, respectively. When sisal fibre was incorporated into the 30% tile mixture, the 1.5% fibre dosage provided the highest reported strengths of 35.560, 41.223, and 44.184 MPa. A further increase to 2.0% fibre reduced strength, indicating an optimum within the investigated range. The findings support the technical feasibility of combining crushed ceramic fines and treated sisal fibre in non-structural concrete utility blocks. However, the study is limited to workability and compressive strength; durability, water absorption, dimensional stability, tensile performance, and full-scale paving-block compliance require additional testing before practical deployment.

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