Effect of biomass Ash, foundry sand and recycled concrete aggregate over the strength aspects of the concrete

Abstract

In this research work waste biomass ash, waste foundry sand and recycled concrete aggregate were used in combined form to improve the strength aspects of the conventional concrete. Waste biomass ash was used at fixed percentages of 0 percent, 3 percent, 6 percent, 9 percent, 12 percent, 15 percent and 18 percent as replacements of the ordinary Portland cement. Waste foundry sand was used at a fixed percentage of 50 percent as fractional substitution of the natural fine aggregate. Recycled concrete aggregate was also used at a fixed percentage of 50 percent as fractional substitution of the natural coarse aggregate. Then depending upon the percentage of the waste biomass ash, waste foundry sand and waste recycled concrete aggregate several concrete cubes, concrete beams and concrete cylinders were cast and then tested for compressive strength test, flexural strength test and split tensile strength test. The test results of the compressive strength test, flexural strength test and split tensile strength test were quite similar and the maximum value of the compressive strength, flexural strength and split tensile strength was found at 12 percent usage of the waste biomass ash, 50 percent usage of the waste foundry sand and 50 percent usage of the recycled concrete aggregate. From the test results, it can be concluded that with the increases in the percentage of the waste biomass ash the compressive strength, flexural strength and split tensile strength of the concrete increase up to 12 percent and beyond this percentage the strength decreases. It was mainly due to the finer size of the waste biomass ash as compared to the ordinary Portland cement. Waste biomass ash densifies the concrete and improves the internal microstructure of the concrete due to which the strength parameters of the concrete increases up to a great extent. It can also be concluded that the binary combination of the waste foundry sand, waste biomass ash and waste recycled concrete aggregate improves the strength parameters up to a great extent and can be very much useful for various kinds of futuristic structural and non-structural works in the civil engineering sector.