Utilization of Glass Powder and Oil Palm Fibers to Develop Thermally Efficient Blocks

摘要

Increasing concern over environmental issues has put onus on the construction industry to develop products and materialsthat are more sustainable and environmentally friendly. This paper focuses on the utilization of oil palm fibers (OPF) andglass powder (GP) to develop thermally efficient building material as a sustainable alternative. OPF are abundantly availablein Malaysia as waste in palm oil manufacturing and are found to be useful in enhancing the thermal performance ofbuilding material, while waste glass, which contributes to municipal solid waste generation, can be beneficially utilizedas a supplementary cementitious material as it possesses pozzolanic behavior. OPF-reinforced blocks were successfullydeveloped with targeted thermal, mechanical and microstructural properties as a sustainable alternative for application inthe hot–humid weather conditions in Malaysia. This paper reports on the development of the glass powder–fiber-reinforcedmortar (GPFRM) as a final phase of the research in the development of a sustainable thermally efficient wall system. TheGPFRM mix was prepared utilizing fibers in ratios of 0.5%, 1% and 1.5% by weight of the binder, whereas GP was incorporatedby replacement of 10% and 20% of cement. The developed GPFRM besides having good thermal performance hasacceptable mechanical performance, hence proving to be a sustainable alternative to conventional mortar to be incorporatedwithin masonry wall systems.