Abstract

Concrete is the most widely used construction material in the world and steel reinforcement is always required to meet tensile strength and ductility demands of concrete structures. The production of concrete and reinforced concrete structures creates lots of environmental issues associated with the significant release of CO2 and other greenhouse gases. In addition, the corrosion of steel reinforcement is one of the major challenges that current civil engineers are facing. In the United States, the upgrading of civil infrastructure due to steel corrosion has been estimated as several trillion dollars. Thus, it is urgent to promote sustainable concrete and structures to reduce their negative impact on the environment.

The development of new environmentally friendly materials to replace steel rebar as reinforcement for concrete structure is a significant step to achieve sustainable concrete and structures. In this chapter, two types of sustainable concrete structures considering the use of natural fibres as reinforcement of concrete and concrete structures were introduced, i.e. Coir Fibre Reinforced Concrete (CFRC) mortar-free structures and Flax Fibre Reinforced Polymer tube encased Coir Fibre Reinforced Concrete (FFRP-CFRC) composite structures. The static and dynamic properties of these structures were studied.

It was found that natural fibres in different configurations can be used to replace conventional steel rebar as reinforcement of concrete structures. In addition, both sustainable concrete structures show good potential to be used in earthquake-prone zones. The application of these sustainable concrete structures is beneficial for consuming less energy, releasing less greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, and costing less to build and to maintain over time.