Thermal Behavior of Bio-Fibers Reinforced Paving Bricks

Abstract

Paved areas are among sources of ambient temperature rise due to heat radiation that has been absorbed by pavement materials and then released into the air. The materials that are widely used in paving grounds include concrete, asphalt concrete and cement sand bricks. The paved surfaces absorb the incoming solar radiation from the sun, which is converted into heat, resulting into higher surface temperature than the ambient air temperature, thus contributing to the global warming. In an attempt to solve this problem, a study on paving bricks reinforced with bio-fibers has been done aiming at establishing the thermal behavior of the bricks. Bio-fibers from grass and coconut coir were studied for their heat insulation, and then were included in the green mix of cement-sand (1:6 ratio) during manufacturing of bricks. On attaining the testing age, the bricks were tested for compressive strength and heat flow. The results showed that bio-fibers reinforced bricks meet the compressive strength specifications of ASTM C 902 and their heat flow rate was less when compared with traditional cement sand bricks. Also, during cooling, bio-fibers reinforced bricks cooled faster than traditional bricks, indicating that they are suitable for paving streets and grounds as they offer good thermal resistance that lowers the Urban Heat Island by 9 ° C below that of traditional bricks.