Stronger concrete, grown on palm trees.
PalmCrete is a sand concrete reinforced with natural date palm fibers — agricultural waste turned into a low-cost, eco-friendly alternative to conventional building materials.
shrinkage vs. plain sand concrete at 42 days
Construction needs greener materials — fast.
Conventional building materials carry a heavy environmental cost. Natural, locally available fibers from farm waste offer a cheaper, lower-impact way to reinforce concrete.
of global CO₂ emissions come from the buildings and construction sector.
of global emissions are attributed to cement and steel production.
of global waste is linked to buildings and construction.
Source: UNEP & GlobalABC, Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction 2024–2025
Two fibers from one palm tree.
Date palms leave behind large amounts of plant waste after every harvest and pruning. PalmCrete uses two of their natural fibers as reinforcement.
Leaflets
The narrow leaflets of the palm frond. In testing, they were the most effective fibers at reducing shrinkage.
Fibrillium
The mesh of fibers that wraps the palm trunk. At a low dosage, it gave sand concrete satisfactory flexural performance for practical use.
Simple preparation. No chemicals.
- 1
Collect
Leaflets and fibrillium are gathered from date palm agricultural waste.
- 2
Cut
Fibers are cut to a length of 20–25 mm.
- 3
Soak
No chemical treatment — fibers are simply pre-soaked in water for at least 24 hours.
- 4
Mix
Fibers are added to sand concrete at 0.5%, 1% or 1.5% and cast.
Six fiber mixes, one plain reference.
Each fiber type was tested at three dosages and compared with plain sand concrete.
| Fiber type | 0.5% | 1% | 1.5% |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leaflets (LFL) | Best shrinkage control | ||
| Fibrillium (FBL) | Best flexural performance | ||
| Reference | Plain sand concrete, no fibers | ||
Less cracking. Real strength.
Shrinkage almost eliminated
Leaflet fibers at 1.5% cut shrinkage to about 0.26 mm/m at 42 days — an 85.4% reduction compared with plain sand concrete. Less shrinkage means fewer cracks.
Satisfactory bending strength
Fibrillium at just 0.5% reached a flexural strength of 8.0 MPa at 28 days — satisfactory performance for practical applications.
Source: Gadri, Jaradat & Izemmouren, Revue des Composites et des Matériaux Avancés 35(5), 873–883 (2025). doi:10.18280/rcma.350507
Six properties, every mix.
Workability
How easily the fresh concrete flows and places.
Density
Mass per volume of the hardened material.
Compressive strength
Resistance to crushing loads.
Flexural strength
Resistance to bending before cracking.
Water absorption
How much water the material takes in.
Shrinkage
How much the concrete contracts as it dries.
Good for buildings. Good for farms.
Eco-friendly
Natural fibers replace synthetic reinforcement and reuse farm waste.
Low cost
Abundant, locally available fibers that need no chemical treatment.
Fewer cracks
Dramatically lower shrinkage helps reduce drying cracks.
Circular economy
Agricultural by-products gain value instead of being burned or dumped.
Honest about what comes next.
What the research recommends
- Pre-treating both fiber types to improve performance further
- Choosing the fiber type and dosage for the job: LFL for shrinkage control, FBL for flexural strength
What still needs study
- Long-term durability of the fiber-reinforced concrete
- A full lifecycle assessment of environmental impact
Engineers turning harvest waste into building blocks.
Faculty of Engineering & IT
PalmCrete was founded in 2025 by a research team from the Faculty of Engineering & Information Technology, specialising in sustainable construction materials and the reuse of agricultural waste.
Frequently asked questions
What is PalmCrete?
A sand concrete reinforced with natural date palm fibers — leaflets or fibrillium — made from agricultural waste.
How much fiber is added?
The research tested 0.5%, 1% and 1.5% of each fiber type. Leaflets worked best at 1.5% for shrinkage; fibrillium gave satisfactory flexural strength at 0.5%.
Are the fibers chemically treated?
No. They are cut to 20–25 mm and simply pre-soaked in water for at least 24 hours before mixing.
How much does it reduce shrinkage?
With 1.5% leaflet fibers, shrinkage at 42 days was about 0.26 mm/m — 85.4% lower than plain sand concrete.
Has long-term durability been tested?
Not yet. Durability and a full lifecycle assessment are the next steps identified by the research.
Built on open, peer-reviewed research.
Read the open-access study behind PalmCrete's date palm fiber reinforced sand concrete.
Gadri, K., Jaradat, O., & Izemmouren, O. (2025). Valorisation of agricultural waste: Date palm fibers as green reinforcement in sand concrete. Revue des Composites et des Matériaux Avancés, 35(5), 873–883.
https://doi.org/10.18280/rcma.350507