Effects of sugarcane bagasse ash on the properties of concrete

This paper presents a detailed investigation of the effects of refined sugarcane bagasse ash (SCBA) as partial replacement for cement on the properties of fresh and hardened concrete. The study verified that SCBA shows promising results of its use as a cement replacement material (CRM). The potential of SCBA as a CRM was found because of its chemical composition, fineness and well-controlled incineration process. The availability of bagasse is also a positive indicator for the sustainable supply of SCBA as CRM. In the world, approximately 1500 Mt of sugarcane is annually produced, which yields approximately 40-45% bagasse after juice extraction in sugar mills. In this study, SCBA content was varied from 5 to 50% as partial replacement of cement. The effects of SCBA on the workability, compressive strength, splitting tensile strength and bond strength of concrete were investigated. The results showed that the addition of SCBA (5-50% content) increased the slump value of fresh concrete. The mechanical properties (compressive strength, splitting tensile strength and bond strength) of concrete made of 5-30% SCBA showed a reasonable enhancement in the results in comparison with the 100% cement concrete.