Abstract
In India, coal-fired power plants produce about 196 million tonnes of fly ash annually. The management of fly ash has thus been a matter of concern given the requirement of the large area of land for its disposal and potential of causing pollution of air and water. Various initiatives have been taken in the country to promote safe utilisation of fly ash. But despite these initiatives, the optimal utilisation is yet to be achieved. Most of the existing literature is related to forecasting the utilisation of fly ash in different modes and accordingly presents the promising applications, but the latent utilisation potential of applications is not yet explored. In this paper, the potential of fly ash utilisation in various construction-specific applications, i.e., cement, concrete, brick, and blocks, has been estimated through a simple framework. The study reveals that although cement is one of the most prominent applications where fly ash has been significantly utilised, it reached its threshold limit of utilisation. The scope of utilisation of fly ash in cement in the future is limited only to the extent of the rate of increase in cement consumption. The potential of fly ash utilisation in concrete is significantly higher, as the projected growth rate of ready-mix concrete (RMC) is moving upwards. However, this increased percentage of RMC will not impact much on overall fly ash utilisation as this will only balance out the share percentage of overall cement requirement. In this study, the bricks/blocks emerged out to be the application having a maximum consumption potential. This study further explores the reasons behind the sluggish performance of fly ash bricks and blocks in the market and suggests strategies for policy-level interventions that can accelerate the process of successful commercialisation.
Highlights
India is undergoing rapid urbanisation, and with 31.8% of India’s population in urban areas as per Census 2011, this number is expected to reach 40% by 2030, contributing to 75% of India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
It is anticipated that the concrete sector will grow at a compounded annual growth rates (CAGR) of 8.02% in the following years, which subsequently increases fly ash utilisation, yet this increased percentage of ready-mix concrete (RMC) will not impact much on fly ash utilisation as this will only replace the share percentage of PPC cement to balance out the overall cement requirement
This paper analyses the true potential of ash utilisation in various construction sector-specific applications such as cement, concrete, bricks, and blocks using a simple framework
Summary
India is undergoing rapid urbanisation, and with 31.8% of India’s population in urban areas as per Census 2011, this number is expected to reach 40% by 2030, contributing to 75% of India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The rural population is migrating to the cities with the rapid industrialisation in developing countries, (Kumar, 2003). With a vision to provide housing for all by 2022, the Government of India (GoI) launched mission Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna (“Housing for All”) (Yojana, 2015). Under this mission, the GoI aims to construct one crore (about 10 million) of housing units by the year 2022. Urban cities need to provide a receptive, innovative, and productive environment for a better quality of living
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: Environmental Research, Engineering and Management
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
