Combined Effect of Fly-Ash and Ferrochrome Ash as Partial Replacement of Cement on Mechanical Properties of Concrete

Abstract

Due to rapid industrialization extensive quantity of waste materials like fly ash, silica fume, rice ash husk, and ferrochrome ash etc. are generated. Ferrochrome ash is generated from Ferro-alloy industry and fly-ash is produced in thermal power plants are alternative materials which have the potential of being utilized in concrete as a mineral admixture. The present investigation considers the combined influence on strength of concrete using various percentage fly ash and ferrochrome ash as partial replacement of cement. Experiments are carried out to get mechanical properties of ordinary Portland cement by replacement of fly ash by 10%, 20%, 30 % and 3% by ferrochrome ash. Mechanical properties are measured by determining compressive strength, split tensile strength and flexural strength. It can be inferred from the study that a small amount of ferrochrome ash mixed with 30 % fly-ash gives higher compressive strength as compared to fly ash alone. Addition of ferrochrome ash also increases the split tensile strength of concrete. Since ferrochrome ash and fly-ash are both industrial waste, utilization of these waste materials reduced the burden of dumping and greenhouse gas and thereby produce sustainable concrete.