Evaluation of Edgeworthia gardneri (Argeli) as a sustainable fiber additive for mortar and concrete performance

The production of conventional construction materials generates substantial carbon emissions, driving the need for sustainable alternatives such as natural fiber-based composites. This study investigates the suitability of Edgeworthia gardneri fibers (EGF) in mortar and concrete by evaluating their required properties, including the influence of alkali treatment. Mortar mixes were prepared with a 1:1:0.3 (cement:fine aggregate:water) ratio, 0.5 % superplasticizer, and EGF contents ranging from 0.00 % to 1.00 % by cement weight. M25 concrete was produced with a water–cement ratio of 0.41 and a 1:1.868:2.691 mix proportion, incorporating Φ6 mm and Φ12 mm EGF tensile bars. Increasing fiber content led to a reduction in flow value and density, along with increased water absorption. Alkali treatment enhanced flow (10.77 %) and density (0.14 %) while slightly reducing water absorption (0.03 %). At the optimum fiber content of 0.75 %, compressive, elastic modulus, splitting tensile, and flexural strengths increased by 15.95 %, 17.16%, 20.26 %, and 23.49 %, respectively; further improvements of 7.56 %, 5.56 %, and 5.32 % were achieved with alkali treatment. At 200°C, untreated EGF mortar showed 8.55 % mass loss and 27.13 % strength reduction, which improved to 7.33 % and 25.23 % after treatment. In 3 % H₂SO₄ solution, mass and strength losses decreased from 2.70 % and 17.10 % to 2.30 % and 16.50 %, respectively. The flexural strength of concrete beams increased by 19.03 % with 2-Φ6 mm bars and 26.97 % with 2-Φ12 mm bars. These results demonstrate the strong potential of EGF for sustainable, high-performance construction materials.