Short sugarcane bagasse fibers cementitious composites for building construction

•Sustainable sugarcane bagasse fibers pre-treatment forcement fiber composites.•Accelerated carbonation tests in CO2 saturated atmosphere for bagasse composites.•Relationshipsreported between their physical and mechanical properties.•Recommendations for valorization of waste sugarcane for low-cost building. This paper presents an experimental assessment on sugarcane bagasse short fibers reinforced composites, conglomerated by Ordinary Portland Cement and Plaster and containing fine ash from rice husk combustion, for rural autonomous construction. The vegetable bagasse fibers were supplied directly from landfills of small rural sugar industries, smoked on site, washed in laboratory, treated in supersaturated calcium hydroxide at room temperature and dried before mixing. Physical and mechanical properties of components and composites were obtained. Accelerated aging of composites in CO2 rich atmosphere was done in laboratory, assessing the new properties of specimens after this aerial carbonation, in relation with the ordinary ones. Increasing of specific gravity, modulus of rupture, compressive strength, Young's Modulus, decreasing of porosity, water absorption and toughness of the aged composites was obtained. Their ability for building construction as sustainable and eco-efficient construction materials is analyzed.