Structural Characterization of Natural Fiber Reinforced Polymeric (NFRP) Laminates for Building Construction

This study focuses on the structural characterization of Natural Fiber Reinforced Polymeric (NFRP) laminates for their potential application in structural insulated panels in order to replace traditional Oriented Strand Board (OSB) laminates. To this end, mechanical testing such as bending test and low velocity impact test were performed on the laminates made up of bleached and unbleached jute fibers and the results were compared with OSB laminates and Glass/Polypropylene (G/PP) laminates. The results showed significant improvement in the mechanical properties of the resulting laminates such as bending strength by 176%, the modulus of elasticity by 129% and, the load carrying capacity by 179%. The energy absorbed by NFRP was 18% higher than OSB and 26% higher resistance to impact loading.