Compressive Strength of Ash Horse Manure and Musa acuminata (Lakatan Banana) Fiber as Additive Ingredients in Concrete Hollow Blocks

Abstract

Concrete Hollow Blocks is widely utilized in the construction industry to build structure. Hence, this study investigates the impact of incorporating ash horse manure and M. acuminata (Lakatan Banana) fibers as alternative reinforcement materials in concrete hollow blocks, aiming to assess their influence on compressive strength and determine optimal combinations for producing durable building materials. In line with this, the researchers conducted quantitative research using a true experimental design. The methodology included rigorous experimentation with varied ratios of reinforcement material. To obtain necessary data, the study employed mean and ANOVA as data analysis. The compressive strength varies among different variations of the mixing design ratio, with Variation D, incorporating an equal amount of M. acuminata (Lakatan Banana) fiber and ash horse manure, demonstrating the highest mean strength. Although the observed differences are not statistically significant according to the ANOVA results, the inclusion of both ash horse manure and M. acuminata (Lakatan Banana) fibers led to a remarkable 98.04% enhancement in the compressive strength of concrete hollow blocks, with the combination of these additives proving to be the most effective. However, the observed compressive strengths were relatively low overall, suggesting the need for further research exploring alternative approaches, mixing design ratios, incorporated fibers, and additional engineering property tests.