Incorporation of Silica Fume and Waste Corn Cob Ash in Cement and Concrete for Sustainable Environment

Abstract

This study has been done to make concrete mixtures more environmentally friendly by testing the performance of concrete mixtures that used recycled materials as a part of the Portland cement. As secondary cementitious materials (SCMs) like corn cob ash and silica fume were used to make concrete by replacing 15% of OPC. These materials are waste products from the agricultural and manufacturing industries. In this investigation, various test result has been performed on concrete containing corn cob and silica fume. The effects of the SCMs on the slump and mechanical characteristics of concrete were investigated. The result of this study shows that adding SCMs to concrete mixtures reduces the slump of the concrete mix. Tests results showed that 10% SCMs was found to be the best concentration for improving compressive and split tensile strengths. Using waste material like corn cob ash in concrete leads to eco-friendlier and more sustainable environment.