Split Tensile Strength of Palm Kernel Shell and Expanded Polystyrene Composite Coarse Aggregates Lightweight Concrete

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the bulk density and split tensile strength of concrete that was completely substituted with composite Palm Kernel Shell (PKS) and Expended Polystyrene (EPS) for regular weight coarse aggregate. In the majority of nations worldwide, the environmental effects of managing agricultural and industrial waste have been a major source of worry. Conventional aggregate concrete's high density and self-weight, together with the environmental issues associated with their extraction, have equally alarmed stakeholders in the construction sector. Contrary to the aforementioned problem claims, this study concludes that using these industrial and agricultural wastes in the manufacturing of concrete is essential for social, economic, and environmental reasons. Table 1 displays the findings of the different material parameters, Figure 1 shows the concrete bulk densities at 7, 21, and 28 days of curing, which are 1640 kg/m3, 1647 kg/m3, and 1647 kg/m3, respectively. Plotting 0.054Mpa, 0.062Mpa, and 0.08Mpa split tensile strengths versus curing ages of 7, 21, and 28 days is shown in Figure 2. This study's 28-day split tensile strength of 0.08 MPa is roughly 4% of the minimum split tensile strength of 2 MPa required by ASTM C496 for normal aggregate concrete, 9% of the minimum value of 0.95 MPa determined by Nur et al. for the use of plastic waste in concrete, and 3.2% of 2.5 MPa for oil palm shell replacement of 5% for coarse aggregate. This concrete should only be used for constructions without severe loads or traffic, and not for structural lightweight concrete.