Determination of Compressive Strength in Hemp–Lime Composites: Comparative Study of Testing Methodologies and Proposal of Improved Approach
Source abstract
Abstract
The determination of compressive strength of hemp–lime composite (HLC) is currently based on diverse and non-unified approaches, which complicates the direct comparison of results obtained in different studies. This study compares commonly used strength-determination methods using a dedicated experimental dataset and proposes a new, more universal approach, defining compressive strength as the stress corresponding to 1% permanent strain. Cubic specimens (150 × 150 × 150 mm) were produced at three compaction levels (150%, 170%, 190%) and tested under uniaxial compression. Increasing compaction increased density and resulted in compressive strengths of 219, 316, and 349 kPa, respectively. Methods based on fixed strain levels (5% and 10%) showed good repeatability but primarily reflected serviceability limits, whereas those based on loss of linearity or stiffness reduction were less reliable and highly sensitive to curve interpretation. The proposed 1% permanent-strain method accurately captured the onset of irreversible deformation and aligned with the real behavior of hemp–lime infill in frame structures, supporting its use for standardizing compressive-strength testing of hemp–lime composites.
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Research context
OpenAlex topics: Hygrothermal properties of building materials · Natural Fiber Reinforced Composites · Masonry and Concrete Structural Analysis
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
Affiliations
Faculty of Civil Engineering, Warsaw University of Technology, Al. Armii Ludowej 16, 00-637 Warsaw, Poland
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