{"paper_id":"041a4712-e909-4fda-8dfb-d83960c82fe3","body_text":"Comparative effects of untreated and NaOH-treated cellulose fibers on self- sealing and transport durability of concrete | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Comparative effects of untreated and NaOH-treated cellulose fibers on self- sealing and transport durability of concrete Sanaz Ajabshir, Rishi Gupta This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-9286512/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 5 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Concrete durability is strongly affected by microcracking, which facilitates the ingress of water and chloride ions and accelerates deterioration. Cellulose fibers represent a sustainable alternative to synthetic reinforcement; however, their hydrophilic nature and residual lignocellulosic components may limit their effectiveness in cementitious matrices. This study comparatively evaluates untreated and NaOH-treated cellulose fibers at volumetric dosages of 0.5% and 1.0% with respect to crack self-sealing, water permeability, and rapid chloride permeability of concrete. Alkali treatment was used to partially remove hemicellulose and lignin, increase surface roughness, and improve fiber-matrix interaction. Crack sealing performance was evaluated through time-dependent flow rate measurements, while durability characteristics were assessed using water permeability and rapid chloride permeability (RCP) tests. Results indicated that concrete incorporating treated fibers exhibited faster crack sealing and improved resistance to water and chloride penetration compared with untreated and control mixtures. The mixture containing 1.0% NaOH-treated fibers achieved complete crack sealing within approximately 528 hours and exhibited an RCP value of 1318 Coulombs, corresponding to low chloride permeability. These findings demonstrate that NaOH surface treatment significantly enhances crack sealing efficiency and reduces water and chloride permeability in cellulose fiber-reinforced concrete, confirming the potential of treated bio-based fibers as durable and sustainable reinforcement in cementitious materials. Cellulose fibers NaOH treatment fiber-reinforced concrete Self-healing concrete Water permeability Chloride resistance Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Reviewers invited by journal 14 Apr, 2026 Editor invited by journal 10 Apr, 2026 Editor assigned by journal 04 Apr, 2026 Submission checks completed at journal 04 Apr, 2026 First submitted to journal 01 Apr, 2026 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {\"props\":{\"pageProps\":{\"initialData\":{\"identity\":\"rs-9286512\",\"acceptedTermsAndConditions\":true,\"allowDirectSubmit\":false,\"archivedVersions\":[],\"articleType\":\"Research Article\",\"associatedPublications\":[],\"authors\":[{\"id\":626506458,\"identity\":\"b7c563f9-ada2-44d7-8d58-34330862b8eb\",\"order_by\":0,\"name\":\"Sanaz Ajabshir\",\"email\":\"\",\"orcid\":\"\",\"institution\":\"University of Victoria\",\"correspondingAuthor\":false,\"prefix\":\"\",\"firstName\":\"Sanaz\",\"middleName\":\"\",\"lastName\":\"Ajabshir\",\"suffix\":\"\"},{\"id\":626506459,\"identity\":\"4212c0ee-bb2b-428f-8623-be088cc1751c\",\"order_by\":1,\"name\":\"Rishi Gupta\",\"email\":\"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAAsElEQVRIiWNgGAWjYPACGwYGZhKUMzYwMKSRruUwCerlI3KPP/i553zihuPMDxh+1BChxfBGXmJjz7PbiRsOsxkw9hwjRsuMHMMGngO3E2c28wC9w0aklsY/B85BtfwjQou8RI5hM8+BA4n9zEAtjG1EaDHgeZc4W+ZAsnE/M5vBwd4+Ymxpzz3w8c0BO9k2/sMPH/z4RowtB3gQnANEaADa0sBDWNEoGAWjYBSMcAAAZQU2qn+WoJkAAAAASUVORK5CYII=\",\"orcid\":\"\",\"institution\":\"University of Victoria\",\"correspondingAuthor\":true,\"prefix\":\"\",\"firstName\":\"Rishi\",\"middleName\":\"\",\"lastName\":\"Gupta\",\"suffix\":\"\"}],\"badges\":[],\"createdAt\":\"2026-04-01 04:38:46\",\"currentVersionCode\":1,\"declarations\":\"\",\"doi\":\"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9286512/v1\",\"doiUrl\":\"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9286512/v1\",\"draftVersion\":[],\"editorialEvents\":[],\"editorialNote\":\"\",\"failedWorkflow\":false,\"files\":[{\"id\":107704531,\"identity\":\"59ed6a86-3a2c-4470-9d74-f89e8d587916\",\"added_by\":\"auto\",\"created_at\":\"2026-04-24 08:46:08\",\"extension\":\"pdf\",\"order_by\":1,\"title\":\"\",\"display\":\"\",\"copyAsset\":false,\"role\":\"manuscript-pdf\",\"size\":607362,\"visible\":true,\"origin\":\"\",\"legend\":\"\",\"description\":\"\",\"filename\":\"SelfhealingJRNL.pdf\",\"url\":\"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-9286512/v1_covered_cc2816b8-67ce-46e7-a20e-18348d0501ce.pdf\"}],\"financialInterests\":\"No competing interests reported.\",\"formattedTitle\":\"Comparative effects of untreated and NaOH-treated cellulose fibers on self- sealing and transport durability of concrete\",\"fulltext\":[],\"fulltextSource\":\"\",\"fullText\":\"\",\"funders\":[],\"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow\":false,\"hasManuscriptDocX\":false,\"hasOptedInToPreprint\":true,\"hasPassedJournalQc\":\"\",\"hasAnyPriority\":false,\"hideJournal\":false,\"highlight\":\"\",\"institution\":\"\",\"isAcceptedByJournal\":false,\"isAuthorSuppliedPdf\":true,\"isDeskRejected\":\"\",\"isHiddenFromSearch\":false,\"isInQc\":false,\"isInWorkflow\":false,\"isPdf\":true,\"isPdfUpToDate\":true,\"isWithdrawnOrRetracted\":false,\"journal\":{\"display\":true,\"email\":\"info@researchsquare.com\",\"identity\":\"discover-civil-engineering\",\"isNatureJournal\":false,\"hasQc\":true,\"allowDirectSubmit\":false,\"externalIdentity\":\"\",\"sideBox\":\"Learn more about [Discover Civil Engineering](https://www.springer.com/journal/44290)\",\"snPcode\":\"44290\",\"submissionUrl\":\"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/44290\",\"title\":\"Discover Civil Engineering\",\"twitterHandle\":\"\",\"acdcEnabled\":true,\"dfaEnabled\":true,\"editorialSystem\":\"stoa\",\"reportingPortfolio\":\"Discover Series\",\"inReviewEnabled\":true,\"inReviewRevisionsEnabled\":true},\"keywords\":\"Cellulose fibers, NaOH treatment, fiber-reinforced concrete, Self-healing concrete, Water permeability, Chloride resistance\",\"lastPublishedDoi\":\"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9286512/v1\",\"lastPublishedDoiUrl\":\"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9286512/v1\",\"license\":{\"name\":\"CC BY 4.0\",\"url\":\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/\"},\"manuscriptAbstract\":\"\\u003cp\\u003eConcrete durability is strongly affected by microcracking, which facilitates the ingress of water and chloride ions and accelerates deterioration. 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