Strength characteristics of steel fiber reinforced concrete with sugarcane bagasse ash and wood ash

Abstract

Abstract Fibre-reinforced concrete is an ancient technique that involves adding natural or synthetic materials to control deformations and cracking during service. Additionally, the use of agricultural waste materials like sugarcane bagasse ash (SBA), rice husk ash, wood ash (WA), and sawdust, as well as industrial by-products such as ground granulated blast furnace slag, fly ash, and copper slag, has been widely researched as substitutes for traditional binder materials. In line with these studies, an investigation was conducted to explore the surface profile and strength characteristics of steel-fibre reinforced concrete. Percentage Replacement of Steel Fiber (PRSF) by the concrete volume, along with the binder material, was partially replaced with WA and SBA. The concrete samples were cast for M20 grade, and the binder was replaced by 5% of SBA and partial replacement of WA by 5%, 10%, and 15% for cement. From the outcomes, the most desirable percentage recommended was 2% steel-fibre by volume of concrete, 5% replacement of SBA, and 10% replacement of WA by cement, which shows a reasonable amount of increase in the strength of concrete with a maximum of 28 curing days. Also, surface morphological studies of composites were studied using a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), by which the bonding property and performance of concrete show a considerable increase in the strength of the composites.