ArtFill. Concrete and Cocunut Fiber Panels

Cutting the molds

Transporting the molds

 Bringing the molds to a horizontal position.

 Leveling the molds.

 Adding the mounting plates.

 Spraying de-molding solution

 Mounting plates.

Pouring Concrete.

 

Spreading the concrete mix

Concrete has been poured waiting for 6 days to de-mold and install.

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CO-CO.  ArtFill Project. Bryan, Texas.

Concrete Panels with coconut fiber reinforcement.

Team: Gabriel Esquivel, Dr. John Nichols, Jorge Cruz, Steven Hewett, Jeff Lemley.

There is currently a great deal of interest in developing the technology for using natural fiber materials in cement composites. Natural fibers exist in reasonably large quantities all over the world and natural vegetable fibers are produced in most developing countries. Natural fibers have been used to reinforce inorganic materials for thousands of years. This project examines the effect of twined coconut fibers as reinforcement to 10’ x 10’ concrete panels. For treatment, 25% twined coconut fibers will be added as reinforcement.  The panel is a porous ornamented panel, which is more a study of small façades. This panel size has never been done, thus the importance of this project.

Flexural tests have been carried out on prototype panels to determine their strength with different volume fractions and aspect ratios of fibers. The casting will be done on site to avoid transportation. Each panels weighs about 2,000 lbs.