ABSTRACT
A long term research on the development of alternative building materials, using the resources available, mainly agro-industrial by-products, was carried out at IPT during the last three years. Fibres reinforced building panels for load-bearing wall were developed. The tests were carried out with low alkaline matrices such as mortars of alternative cements (OPC+rice husk ash and blast furnace slag+lime+gypsum). The fibres used were coir, sisal and desintegrated newsprint. The composite selected was blast furnace cement based mortar reinforced with chopped coir fibres. The final product was a prototype in actual size, already in use, and also a manual for the production of the panels and their assembling.
