DEVELOPMENT AND MECHANICAL EVALUATION OF SUSTAINABLE MESH WALL PANEL
Keywords:
developed sustainable mesh wall panel, palm oil husk, recycled PET, sustainable construction materials, non-load-bearing wall panelAbstract
The construction sector’s dependence on cement, sand, and gravel drives resource depletion and carbon emissions, while plastic and agricultural wastes continue to accumulate. This study developed and evaluated the Developed Sustainable Mesh Wall Panel (DSMWP), a ferrocement-skinned sandwich panel whose core combines palm oil husk (POH), recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and cassava starch. It determined the compressive, flexural, and tensile strengths of the panels, compared their performance with a conventional concrete wall panel, and assessed their acceptability against established standards. A quantitative, true experimental design was employed. Three core mixtures (Mixture 1, 45% POH and 45% PET; Mixture 2, 60% POH and 30% PET; Mixture 3, 30% POH and 60% PET, each with 10% cassava starch) and a 50 mm conventional concrete control were fabricated in three replicates and tested at 28 days with a Universal Testing Machine in accordance with ASTM C365 (compressive), ASTM C393 (flexural), and ASTM C496 (split tensile). The data were analyzed using One-Way ANOVA and Least Significant Difference (LSD) post hoc analysis. Mixture 1 exhibited the best compressive strength (10.25 MPa) and was statistically comparable to the control (10.08 MPa; p = .282), while Mixture 2 demonstrated the best flexural strength (2.93 MPa) and was likewise comparable to the control (3.07 MPa; p = .500). All mixtures satisfied the minimum compressive strength of 4.14 MPa required for non-load-bearing masonry applications under ASTM C129/C129M. However, the tensile strength of all developed mixtures (5.30–6.47 MPa) was significantly lower than that of the control panel (10.50 MPa; p < .001). Properly proportioned POH and recycled PET can be used to produce lightweight, environmentally sustainable wall panels suitable for non-load-bearing construction, although tensile performance requires further improvement. Future studies should focus on improving tensile performance, durability, reinforcement systems, and large-scale fabrication.
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