Effect of Arabic gum biopolymer on fresh and hardened concrete properties

Vegetal products are increasingly gaining ground in the composition of industrial and construction materials given their cost effectiveness and the growing concern about issues such as environmental protection and sustainability. Arabic Gum Biopolymer (AGB), a wild plant product found mainly in Sudan and also produced in other tropical African areas, has been widely used in various industries. Whereas its utilization is very limited in the construction sector, there is a clear indication that ABG has a potential for being an effective additive to concrete mixes that would improve fresh and hardened concrete properties. The aim of the present work is to evaluate the influence of AGB on the physical and mechanical properties of ordinary concrete at various ages including workability and air content of the fresh mix and porosity, capillarity and compressive strength after hardening.

An experimental campaign is conducted to measure these properties from samples of sand concrete made out of mixes with different percentages of AGB dissolved in the mixture water. The experimental results show near 8% improvement in compressive strength for an optimum percentage of AGB of 0.9%. Porosity and capillarity vary consistently with compressive strength and exhibit a minimum where strength is highest. Air content monotonously decreases to a low minimum as AGB fraction is augmented. Workability is found to always increase with %AGB. Test results show a Slump range of 15–25 mm for AGB percentages ranging from 0.44 to the point of maximum strength.