Moisture Effects on Flexural Performance of Wood Fiber‐Cement Composites

Abstract

Wood fiber‐reinforced cement can provide the highest performance‐to‐cost ratio among fibrous cement composites considered for the replacement of asbestos cement. Such composites can find applications in the production of flat and corrugated cement sheets, nonpressure pipes, and many other thin‐sheet cement products. There are, however, concerns regarding the moisture resistance of these composites. This paper presents the results of a comprehensive experimental study concerned with the effects of moisture content on the flexural performance of wood‐fiber‐reinforced cement composites. The cement composites considered in this investigation incorporate 1% and 2% mass fractions of mechanical and kraft pulps. Comprehensive sets of replicated flexural test data were generated, and were analyzed statistically. The results generated in this study were indicative of significant effects of moisture content on flexural performance of wood‐fiber‐reinforced cement. Microstructural studies indicate that high moisture contents tend to lower the fiber‐to‐matrix bond strength, leading to changes in failure mechanism that can describe the trends observed in moisture effects on flexural performance of wood‐cement composites.