ENHANCING SUSTAINABLE PAVING BLOCK PERFORMANCE THROUGH THE INCORPORATION OF BIRMINGHAM WIRE GAUGE (BWG) WIRE

Authors

  • Johan Lautan Wijaya Nusantara Sebelas Maret University image/svg+xml , Civil Engineering, Vocational School, Universitas Sebelas Maret, 57126, Surakarta, Indonesia
  • Delista Putri Deni Sebelas Maret University image/svg+xml , Civil Engineering, Vocational School, Universitas Sebelas Maret, 57126, Surakarta, Indonesia
  • 'Ilma Alfianarrochmah Sebelas Maret University image/svg+xml , Civil Engineering, Vocational School, Universitas Sebelas Maret, 57126, Surakarta, Indonesia
  • Kholis Hapsari Pratiwi Sebelas Maret University image/svg+xml , Civil Engineering, Vocational School, Universitas Sebelas Maret, 57126, Surakarta, Indonesia
  • Amelya Sekar Saraswati Civil Engineering, Vocational School, Universitas Sebelas Maret, 57126, Surakarta, Indonesia
  • Brenda Benaya Melvidenska R. Civil Engineering, Vocational School, Universitas Sebelas Maret, 57126, Surakarta, Indonesia
  • Igcinus Zebada Sormin Civil Engineering, Vocational School, Universitas Sebelas Maret, 57126, Surakarta, Indonesia
  • Muhammad Aryo Firgiawan Civil Engineering, Vocational School, Universitas Sebelas Maret, 57126, Surakarta, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.11113/aej.v16.25388

Keywords:

Paving block, BWG wire fibre, compressive strength, water absorption, fibre diameter

Abstract

The use of industrial waste as concrete additives is a strategic approach to support sustainable construction. One of the underutilised wastes is BWG (Birmingham Wire Gauge) wire, which has the potential to improve the performance of paving blocks. This study evaluated the effect of BWG wire fibre content and diameter on the compressive strength and water absorption of paving blocks. Paving blocks were made by a conventional method, using wire fibres with diameters of No.10 (3.1 mm), No. 16 (1.55 mm), and No. 24 (0.5 mm) at varying levels 0% to 5%. The test results showed that 1% fibre content was the optimal configuration, with the highest compressive strength increase of 55.8% for No. 24 wire (from 14.6 MPa to 22.60 MPa). The addition of fibre above 1% caused a decrease in strength due to agglomeration and compaction resistance. Water absorption decreased as fibre content increased, with a maximum decrease of 33.8% at 5% content and small diameter. Smaller fibre diameters gave the best performance, both in increasing strength and decreasing porosity.
Overall, 1% BWG wire fibre configuration with No. 24 diameter is recommended to produce high-performance and environmentally efficient paving blocks.

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Published

2026-08-31

Issue

Vol. 16 No. 3: September 2026

Section

Articles