Effect of partial replacement of ground granulated blast furnace slag with sugarcane bagasse ash as source material in the production of geopolymer concrete

Abstract

The study on the characteristics of geopolymer concrete (GPC) is of ultimate significance to instill assurance in builders and engineers. Abundant available literatures point towards the utilization of fly ash and ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) as source material in the production of GPC with little on other materials. India produces nearly 350 MMT of sugarcane for the production of sugar, which lies second only to Brazil in the annual production, the disposal of the bagasse creates an environmental issue needs to be effectively utilized. Hence, this work was intended to investigate the effect of utilizing sugarcane bagasse ash (SCBA) as a source material in the production of geopolymer mixes. The fresh (consistency, setting time, soundness and flow), hardened (density, compressive strength, expansion and pH) and microstructural properties (X-ray diffraction) of the tested mixes were asessed. The results infer that 20 % replacement level of GGBFS with SCBA produces superior compressive strength and all other results were within the permissible limits even at 40 % replacement level.