Investigation of Physical and Mechanical Properties of Paving Blocks Reinforced with Sisal Fiber (Agave Sisalana Perrine).

Paving blocks reinforced with sisal fiber (Agave sisalana Perrine) have been investigated in this study. The aim is to analyze the effect of sisal fiber addition on physical and mechanical properties such as tensile strength and compressive strength. Variations in the percentage of sisal fiber addition were tested to obtain the optimal composition. The method used was experimental through tensile stress and compression tests. The study results showed that adding sisal fiber significantly increased the compressive strength of paving blocks. Sisal fiber, with a length of 30mm, an average diameter of 0.26mm, and a weight of 0.0788 grams, obtained the highest tensile stress of the other variations, which was 207.27 Mpa. Meanwhile, the others were 292.26 Mpa, 193.27 Mpa, 191.77 Mpa, and the lowest was sisal fiber with an average diameter of 0.21 with a tensile stress of 175.14 Mpa. In terms of the quality of paving blocks after adding 3% sisal fiber, the average compressive strength of paving blocks increased to 13.2 Mpa, while paving blocks without additional sisal fiber only had a compressive strength of 8.9 Mpa. The increased strength of paving blocks with additional sisal fiber is due to the mixing of water-cement aggregates that enter the fiber pores, and hydrophilic and compatibility occur when dry and bind to each other. This study provides empirical data that supports the use of sisal fiber as a natural reinforcing material in paving block production and recommendations regarding the optimal percentage of addition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]