UI Student Innovation Makes Concrete Environmentally Friendly From Rami Fiber

University of Indonesia (UI) Student Program Doctorate Department of Civil Engineering and Environment Faculty of Engineering (FT), Maidina (center) after obtaining a doctorate. (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The younger generation is now increasingly showing an important role in encouraging sustainable innovation in various fields, including construction.

One of them is research conducted by a student of the Doctoral Program of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Indonesia (UI), Maidina, which develops environmentally friendly alternatives in concrete by utilizing hemp fiber.

The hemp fiber, which has been known as raw material for textiles, handicrafts, and ropes, turns out to have great potential for use in construction.

"The hemparet is widely available locally and can be an environmentally friendly alternative to strengthening concrete on projects that do not require heavy structure, such as environmental roads, city parks, or even modular components for people's housing," Maidina said as quoted by ANTARA.

According to Maidina, the use of renewable materials to reduce the carbon footprint of the construction industry is a growing global trend. The hemp fiber, which was previously used more for textile products, has great potential as environmentally friendly and sustainable material for the world of construction.

In his research, Maidina tested the hemp fiber processed into 2 ply and 3 ply yarn to be used as a bending concrete bone. As a result, 3 ply hemp fiber showed its best performance, with an average attractive force of 123.34 MPa and an elongation of up to 30.87%.

The reinforced concrete with hemp fiber is also experiencing an increase in bending deformation of up to 27.29%, which shows great potential for use in non-structural applications.

Furthermore, Maidina conducted an analysis of the degradation of hemp fibers that had been immersed in concrete for 84 days. The analytical results used technologies such as Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) showed the presence of chemical interaction between hemp and cement fibers which led to a gradual decrease in the mechanical nature of the fiber.

However, 3 ply hemp fiber with a diameter of 47 mm still shows very promising resilience, especially for non-structural applications, such as wall panels, sidewalks, and decorative architectural elements.

This innovation is expected to make a positive contribution to the construction industry, especially in supporting environmentally friendly development programs in Indonesia.

The use of hemp fiber as construction material has the potential to reduce dependence on non-renewable and more nature-friendly materials, make construction more sustainable and reduce the environmental impact of this industry.

Thanks to his research, Maidina won the Technical Doctor's degree with the title Very Satisfactory and the Cumulative Achievement Index (IPK) 3.92. He is listed as the 81st doctor of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, as well as the 613th doctor at the Faculty of Engineering UI.