EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF CONCRETE WITH SUGARCANE BAGASSE ASH (SCBA) AT ELEVATED TEMPERATURE

Abstract

The partial incorporation of natural pozzolans like sugarcane bagasse ash in concrete construction is of the prominent attention to meet the high demand for cement while also ensuring a sustainable environment. The sugarcane bagasse ash has higher percentages of silica compared to ordinary Portland cement (OPC). When sugarcane bagasse ash undergoes pozzolanic reaction, additional Calcium Silicate Hydrate (C-S-H) is formed in cement hydration matrix. This study concentrates on the effectiveness of using sugarcane bagasse ash (SCBA) as a cement substitute in concrete at prolonged elevated temperatures. For investigation different compositions of SCBA (5%, 10% and 15%) were added to the concrete with a water-cement ratio of 0.49. The compressive strength of the test samples was investigated at room temperature (26°C) for reference performance along with the several elevated temperatures of 60°C, 120°C, 180°C, and 240°C for two hours. Afterward, the concrete efficiency was assessed considering the residual compressive strength. The result shows an improvement of compressive strength up to 10% SCBA inclusion at room temperature. Moreover, concrete specimens which are exposed to elevated temperatures exhibit a notable decrement of compressive strength. However, the descending rate of compressive strength was low in case of SCBA concrete compare to other pozzolanic mixture. A 10% substitution of cement with sugarcane bagasse ash (SCBA) demonstrated most observable mixing in concrete considering cost effectiveness and resistance against elevated temperatures.