Mechanical Properties of Sustainable Adobe Bricks Stabilized with Recycled Sugarcane Fiber Waste

In the pursuit of cheaper and more sustainable building materialsto meethousing demands in developing countries like Cameroun, the mechanicalproperties ofadobe bricks which have been stabilized with recycled sugarcane fiber waste were investigated. Laboratory experiments were conducted using sugarcanefiber waste stabilized adobe brick specimens with fiber proportions of 0%, 0.3%, 0.6%, 1.2%, 2% and 3% by weight.Fiber stabilization increased compressive strength by 58.61% for 3% bricks, reaching 4.79 MPa.Further, 3% fiber stabilized bricks shrunk by 7.49%, while the non-stabilized bricksshrunk by 12.13%. Also, 3% bricks lasted for one week before deterioration when immersed in water, while the non-stabilized bricks lasted for only a few hours. The findings confirmed that sugarcane fiber waste stabilized adobe bricks have improved strength, durability and stability. The use of abandoned sugarcane fiber waste in adobe bricks will contribute to the development of more durable, sustainable and stronger adobe brick structures, as well as reduce the environmental and economic challenges associated with the disposal of sugarcane waste.