Influence of Production Methodology on the Pozzolanic Activity of Sugarcane Bagasse Ash

Abstract

Previous studies have shown the possibility of successful implementation of Sugarcane Bagasse Ash (SCBA) as a Supplementary Cementitious Material (SCM) in concrete production. However, its use has been constrained in the construction industry due to lack of a suitable largescale processing methodology of SCBA. In this study, the pozzolanic performance of SCBA produced using three different methodologies (i.e., uncontrolled burning, controlled burning, and post-processing of uncontrolled burning) was investigated. Experimental findings suggested that SCBA obtained from uncontrolled burning (raw SCBA) is not suitable for concrete application due to high carbon content. However, post-processing of raw SCBA yields a material with an adequate pozzolanic performance for concrete applications, which is comparable to SCBA produced under controlled burning conditions.