Natural fiber composites have recently gained popularity in construction due to their numerous benefits. Their applications include incorporation into the concrete mixture, potential replacement of steel reinforcement in reinforced concrete components, and strengthening of structural elements. Notably, despite their relatively low stiffness, these materials exhibit a good load-bearing capacity in tension, indicating that post-tensioning may represent the most effective technique for employing these materials in conjunction with concrete. Surprisingly, this technology has yet to be considered in structural concrete research. The current study presents a thorough analytical, experimental, and numerical approach to assess the efficacy of post-tensioning concrete members using natural jute fiber (NJF) ropes. Preliminary analytical investigations reveal that the proposed post-tensioning can improve a beam's flexural strength by 5.9% when a single rope is used. The experimental validation supports the reliability of the analytical findings, with numerical analysis indicating a potential improvement of 16.3% when the number of ropes used on the same beam is increased to four. Overall, the enhanced flexural performance of concrete structural elements through post-tensioning with NJF ropes appears promising. This novel technique not only improves the flexural performance of concrete members but also has the potential to address critical issues related to conventional post-tensioning, such as the corrosion of steel cables. Additionally, it offers increased flexibility by facilitating the replacement of ropes when required, making it a practical and versatile solution for several concrete applications in the construction industry.

natural jute fiber, NJF, post-tensioning rope, concrete beam, flexural capacity, serviceability