Work

Durability and impact resilience of OPS coir fibre reinforced concrete with experimental insights and machine learning predictions

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: The impact and crack resilience are critical parameters for assessing concrete under dynamic loading, while durability governs its long-term resistance to deterioration from weather and chemical attack. Oil Palm Shell (OPS) is a promising sustainable lightweight aggregate with the potential for enhanced impact and durability performance. This study investigates the durability, impact and crack resilience of OPS concrete reinforced with coir fibre, focusing on fibre length and slab boundary conditions. Durability was further assessed under varying curing ages and conditions. Experimental testing utilised 300 mm square slabs of 30 mm thickness subjected to low-velocity impact loading, complemented by machine learning (ML) predictions using SVM and ANN. The ML models predicted responses at crack initiation, with optimal responses identified through a graphical optimisation technique. Findings demonstrated notable improvements in impact and crack resilience, proportional to fibre length and support configurations. Peak performance of up to 135 Joules and 631 N/mm 2 was achieved with 50 mm coir fibre under four support configurations, with fibre effects most pronounced in simply supported slabs. The ML models effectively predicted the impact and crack responses, with the ANN achieving the highest predictive accuracy (R 2 = 0.76), followed by SVM-Linear. The durability assessment revealed up to 97% reduction in permeability in water-cured specimens, attributed to pore sealing and potential blocking due to the continued hydration process. Overall, the OPS–coir fibre reinforced concrete exhibited enhanced impact resilience and durability, suitable for application in sustainable construction where durability and impact resistance are of primary importance.

Source: Scientific Reports

DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-76254-w