Effect of abaca natural fiber on the setting behavior and autogenous shrinkage of cement composite

In this study, the effects of abaca fibers on the initial hydration and autogenous shrinkage characteristics of cement were investigated with the aim of using natural abaca fibers as construction materials. Abaca fiber content was chosen as the primary experimental variable and was varied from 0 to 0.25, 0.5, 1, and 2% of the weight of cement for testing. To identify the influence of the fibers on the hydration reaction of cement, the heat of hydration, ultrasonic pulse velocity, and setting time were measured. The internal curing effect of abaca fibers was evaluated using thermogravimetry and microstructure analysis by conducting compressive strength and autogenous shrinkage tests. The results indicate that abaca fibers can be used as internal curing agents owing to their high water absorption rate, which results from the cross-sectional characteristics of their hollow bundle-type tubular structure. Abaca fibers are found to be an effective alternative that can mitigate the risk of cracking by reducing the autogenous shrinkage of high-performance cement concrete products.