An Investigation on Medium Grade Concrete Impregnated with Polypropylene Fiber and Sugarcane Bagasse Ash with PPC

Abstract

The construction industry is increasingly focusing on sustainable materials to reduce the environmental impact associated with cement production. Sugarcane Bagasse Ash (SCBA), an agricultural waste generated from sugar industries, possesses pozzolanic characteristics and can be utilized as a partial replacement of cement. Polypropylene Fiber (PPF) is known for improving tensile strength, crack resistance, and durability of concrete. This study investigates the combined effect of SCBA and PPF on M40 grade concrete prepared using Portland Pozzolana Cement (PPC). SCBA was used as a partial replacement of cement at 5% and 8%, while polypropylene fibers were incorporated at 0.5%, 1.0%, and 1.5% by volume. The experimental program included slump test, compressive strength test, split tensile strength test, and permeability test. Results indicated that the mix containing 5% SCBA and 1.0% polypropylene fiber exhibited optimum performance with a maximum compressive strength of 47 MPa at 28 days. The incorporation of SCBA and PPF improved mechanical properties and reduced permeability, thereby enhancing durability. The study demonstrates the feasibility of utilizing agricultural waste and synthetic fibers to produce sustainable and high-performance concrete.

Introduction

This study investigated the combined effect of Sugarcane Bagasse Ash (SCBA) and Polypropylene Fiber (PPF) on the strength and durability of M40 grade concrete made with PPC cement. SCBA, a waste product from sugarcane processing, contains high silica content and acts as a pozzolanic material, while PPF improves crack resistance, toughness, and tensile properties. Their combined use enhances concrete performance and promotes sustainable construction by reducing cement consumption.

A review of previous studies showed that both SCBA and PPF individually improve concrete strength, with optimum SCBA replacement generally around 10%. However, limited research exists on their combined application in M40 concrete, which formed the basis of this investigation.

Concrete mixes were prepared with 5% and 8% SCBA replacement and 0.5%, 1%, and 1.5% PPF addition. Tests conducted included workability, compressive strength, split tensile strength, and permeability.

The results showed that:

• The highest compressive strength was achieved with 5% SCBA and 1% PPF (Mix 2), reaching 47 MPa at 28 days and 33.5 MPa at 7 days.
• The highest split tensile strength was also obtained with 5% SCBA and 1% PPF, reaching 4.8 MPa at 28 days and 3.7 MPa at 7 days.
• Increasing SCBA content to 8% generally reduced compressive and tensile strengths.
• In terms of durability, the best performance was observed with 8% SCBA and 1% PPF (Mix 5), which showed the lowest permeability coefficient (3.1 × 10?¹² m/s) and minimum water penetration depth (15 mm).

Overall, the study concluded that 5% SCBA with 1% PPF is the optimum combination for maximizing strength, while 8% SCBA with 1% PPF provides the best durability. The combined use of SCBA and PPF can produce stronger, more durable, and environmentally sustainable concrete.

Conclusion

1) Based on the experimental results, 5% replacement of PPC cement with Sugarcane Bagasse Ash (SCBA) and 1.0% Polypropylene Fiber (PPF) is recommended for M40 grade concrete, as it provided the best overall mechanical performance. 2) The optimum mix achieved a 28-day compressive strength of 47 MPaand a split tensile strength of 4.8 MPa, indicating its suitability for structural concrete applications requiring enhanced strength and crack resistance. 3) The use of SCBA and PPF is recommended as a sustainable alternative in concrete production, as it reduces cement consumption and promotes the utilization of agricultural waste materials.

References

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Copyright

Copyright © 2026 Md Afroz Safdar, Dr. Hemant Sood. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.