Abstract
Increasing demand for cement in the construction industry is posing a serious threat to the environment. This necessitates the utilization of supplementary cementitious materials such as silica fume, fly ash, rice husk ash, and wheat straw ash as a cement replacement material. Additionally, fiber-reinforced cement composites can be efficiently used in repair and rehabilitation works. In this study, we have investigated the performance of fiber-reinforced cement composites blended with wheat straw ash. Wheat straw ash has been proved to be an effective pozzolanic material. Cement was replaced by 20% (weight) wheat straw ash. Polypropylene fibers were added at a dosage of 0%, 0.5%, 1%, and 2% by weight of cement. Mortar specimens were fabricated and investigated for the compressive, flexure, and indirect tensile strengths, ultrasonic pulse velocity, chloride migration resistance, and carbonation resistance. The results demonstrate that the addition of fibers caused a reduction in the compressive strength, pulse velocity, chloride migration resistance, and carbonation resistance; however, flexure and indirect tensile strengths were significantly enhanced. Moreover, the incorporation of fine size wheat straw ash particles compensated the negative effect of fiber inclusion.
Highlights
Agricultural residue ashes (ARAs) are posing a serious threat to the environment as most of these end up as a landfill matter
Several studies were conducted to investigate the pozzolanic activity of rice husk ash (RHA) [2,3,4]. e results of these studies exhibit that a high specific surface area [2], rich silica content [4], and porous microstructure [3] of well-burnt RHA are responsible for its enhanced pozzolanic activity
PP fibers were incorporated at a dosage of 0.5%, 1%, and 2% by weight of cement. e effect of wheat straw ash (WSA) and PP fibers was investigated by measuring compressive, flexure, and indirect tensile strengths, ultrasonic pulse velocity tests, carbonation resistance, and chloride penetration resistance
Summary
Agricultural residue ashes (ARAs) are posing a serious threat to the environment as most of these end up as a landfill matter. Incorporation of RHA resulted in an increased compressive strength, low permeability, and enhanced resistance to chloride penetration and acid attack [5, 6]. E efficiency of WSA as a filler and pozzolanic material in the cement-based composites has been investigated by several researchers [12,13,14,15,16,17,18]. It has been reported that the addition of WSA enhanced compressive and flexural strengths of cement mortars [12, 13]. Gutierrez et al [27] studied the influence of pozzolans, i.e., silica fume, fly ash, and metakaolin, on the performance of fiber-reinforced mortars. E results of their study demonstrate that the addition of fibers resulted in a decline in compressive strength and increased capillarity absorption and chloride penetration. PP fibers were incorporated at a dosage of 0.5%, 1%, and 2% by weight of cement. e effect of WSA and PP fibers was investigated by measuring compressive, flexure, and indirect tensile strengths, ultrasonic pulse velocity tests, carbonation resistance, and chloride penetration resistance
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