Sustainable development and performance assessment of concrete incorporating biofuel waste

Abstract

This study focuses on investigating concrete's engineering properties when sugarcane bagasse ash (SCBA) is used as a partial substitute for cement. SCBA is obtained by sintering bagasse at 700 °C for one hour. The research analyzes various properties of SCBA concrete at different water-cement ratios (0.3, 0.4, 0.5) and curing periods (7, 28, 56, and 91 days), including fresh-mixed properties (slump, flow, unit weight, setting time), engineering characteristics (compressive, splitting strength, pozzolanic index, ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV), resistivity, sulfate attack, and water absorption), and microscopic properties. Key findings indicate that replacing 5% cement with SCBA improves workability, but higher substitution levels reduce workability and accelerate setting times. Compressive and splitting strength decrease with increased SCBA substitution, but still meet acceptable standards. UPV follows a similar trend. In terms of durability, concrete resistance improves with higher SCBA substitution. The study suggests that incorporating 5% SCBA enhances the hydration reaction of cement, leads to superior strength, UPV, lower water absorption, and reduced weight loss in sulfate tolerance tests, and improves long-term durability. The research underscores the potential of SCBA as a valuable resource for environmentally responsible and sustainable concrete production.