Contribution of the Use of Banana Trunk Powder for Improvement of Mechanical Performance of BTCS Made on a Public Works Construction Site

Abstract

Banana trunk powder, an underutilized agricultural residue, is emerging as an ecological stabilizer for construction materials, combining technical performance and circular economy. The use of banana trunk powder as reinforcement in Stabilized Compressed Earth Blocks (SCEB) aims to improve the mechanical performance of these materials in real conditions, particularly after 28 days of curing. This approach is part of a logic of recovering agricultural waste and seeking economical solutions for construction, particularly suited to rural or low-resource areas. The objective is to evaluate the effect of different dosages of banana trunk powder on the flexural and compressive strength of SCEB, in comparison with conventional cement-based formulations. The tests carried out show that a moderate addition of 2% banana trunk powder, combined with 13% water, makes it possible to achieve a flexural strength of 2 ± 0.04 MPa and a compressive strength of 9.54 ± 0.30 MPa at 28 days, i.e. significantly superior performances to the controls without additive (0.91±0.05 MPa in flexion and 3.49 ± 0.31 MPa in compression). However, higher dosages lead to a decrease in mechanical properties. For comparison, the incorporation of cement in BTCS makes it possible to achieve up to 6.40 ± 0.16 MPa in flexion and 21.43 ± 0.28 MPa in compression for a dosage of 10%. These results confirm that banana trunk powder, at low concentration, constitutes an interesting alternative for reinforcing SCEB, while promoting the use of local resources and reducing construction costs.