Durability of Concrete Structures with Sugar Cane Bagasse Ash

R Berenguer,N B D Lima,A C Valdés,A C Azevedo,F A N Silva,B Rangel,M H F Medeiros,J M P Q Delgado,N Lima,A S Guimarães,Francesco Ruffino

doi:10.1155/2020/6907834

Abstract

The environmental impact of cement production increased significantly in the previous years. For each ton of cement produced, approximately a ton of carbon dioxide is emitted in decarbonation (50%), clinker furnace combustion (40%), raw materials transport (5%), and electricity (5%). Green strategies have been advanced to reduce it, adding natural or waste materials to substitute components or reinforce the mortar, like fibers or ashes. Sugar cane bagasse ash is a by-product generated from sugar boilers and alcohol factories with capacity to be used in concrete production. Composed mainly of silica, it can be used as mortar and concrete mineral admixture, providing great economic and environmental advantages, particularly in regions with sugar culture and industrial transformation like Brazil. In this research, a study of partial substitution of Portland cement by sugar cane bagasse (SCB) is analyzed, in order to reduce clinker in concrete volume, responsible for high emission of CO2 to the atmosphere. An experimental campaign with cementitious pastes was carried out to evaluate the durability properties’ changes due to SCB ash use. Samples containing 15% of sugarcane bagasse ash unveiled good results in terms of durability, indicating that concrete structure with sugar cane ash research is a new and important scientific topic to be highlighted.

Highlights

In some research centers, concrete’s environmental impact is being studied
Characterizations. e X-ray fluorescence (XRF) experiments revealed a large predominance of the chemical compositions of CaO, SiO2, Fe2O3, Al2O3, MgO, and K2O for the precursor materials employed, where for Portland cement samples (REF) the XRF data for these oxide compounds were 62%, 22%, 4%, 4%, 2%, and 0.4%, respectively
In view of pozzolanic determination analyses’ results, in sugarcane bagasse samples, sugarcane bagasse ash from the pizzeria (SCBA-A) and SCBA-B, it was observed that, in some trials, SCBA-A was considered as a pozzolanic material, but in other analyses it was considered to have low reactivity, not reaching the minimum expected

Summary

Introduction

Concrete’s environmental impact is being studied. An environmental impact assessment was investigated by Saffari et al [1] for Shahrood (Iran) cement, revealing that plant contaminations were identified in air, soil, landscape, and ecology environment. Hossain et al evaluated two green strategies to reduce Hong Kong industries’ emission of CO2 in cement production: one using glass powder obtained locally from glass bottle waste and the other adding biofuel obtained from local wood waste [3]. Both strategies reduced 12% of total gases emission and 15% of energy consumption in cement production [3]. Aspects of environmental and economic potential of the use of limestone calcined clay cement were investigated in Cuba, comparing it with commercial zeolite cement [5]. Aspects of environmental and economic potential of the use of limestone calcined clay cement were investigated in Cuba, comparing it with commercial zeolite cement [5]. e authors concluded that a low amount of CO2 was produced and that it has the potential to be commercialized in countries where trucks can make 100 km distance transport from clay deposit to cement plant

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