Partial Replacement of Cement and Sand with Bagasse Ash

Abstract

For economic reasons engineers are compelled to explore low cost waste materials which could be used in building construction .Research studies are being conducted in the world over for the effective use and applications of industrial / agrowastes.Sugarcane bagasse (SCB) which is a voluminous by-product in the sugar mills when juice is extracted from the cane. It is, however, generally used as a fuel to fire furnaces in the same sugar mill that yields about 8-10% ashes containing high amounts of un-burnt matter, silicon, aluminum, iron and calcium oxides. This waste product (Sugar-cane Bagasse ash) is already causing serious environmental pollution, which calls for urgent ways of handling the waste. Bagasse ash mainly contains aluminum ion and silica.Bagasse ash can be classified as a pozzolanic material, but its activity depends significantly on its particle size and fineness and the compressive strength of mortar containing bagasse is inversely proportional to bagasse ash’s particle size. In this paper, Bagasse ash has beenchemically and physically characterized, and partially replaced with cement and then with sand.The properties of BA ( Baggase ash as Cement replacement ) and FR ( Raw Baggase ash as fine replacement ) were determined in fresh and hardened state and compared with OPC ( Ordinary Portland Cement ) concrete. For this investigation Compressive strength, flexural strength, acid attack test, water absorption test, strength reactivity test were carried out.The test results indicate that the incorporation of BA up to 9% as replacement of cement and 5% as replacement of sand gives optimum value of compressive and flexural strength and increase resistance to acid attack