Project on Corn Cob Ash Replaced Cement in Concrete by Acclerated Curing

Abstract

The rapid growth of the construction industry has significantly increased the demand for cement, leading to higher carbon dioxide emissions and environmental degradation. Cement production is one of the major contributors to global CO? emissions, which creates the need for sustainable and eco-friendly alternatives. This project focuses on the partial replacement of cement with Corn Cob Ash (CCA) in concrete and the application of accelerated curing techniques to improve early strength development. Corn cob ash, an agricultural waste material obtained from burning corn cobs, possesses pozzolanic properties that make it suitable as a supplementary cementitious material in concrete production. Utilizing such agro-waste not only reduces environmental pollution but also promotes sustainable waste management practices. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the mechanical properties and performance of concrete when cement is partially replaced by varying percentages of corn cob ash under accelerated curing conditions. In this project, different mix proportions were prepared by replacing cement with CCA at different percentages such as 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% by weight. The concrete specimens were subjected to accelerated curing methods such as hot water curing or steam curing to enhance the early strength gain. Compressive strength tests were conducted at different curing ages to analyse the strength development and compare it with conventional concrete. The results indicate that partial replacement of cement with corn cob ash up to an optimum percentage improves the compressive strength and durability characteristics of concrete. Accelerated curing significantly reduces the curing time while maintaining adequate strength, making it suitable for precast concrete elements and fast-track construction projects. However, higher replacement levels beyond the optimum percentage may lead to a reduction in strength due to the lower cementitious content. This project demonstrates that corn cob ash can be effectively used as a sustainable and economical alternative material in concrete production. The combination of CCA replacement and accelerated curing not only enhances early strength but also contributes to environmental sustainability by reducing cement consumption and agricultural waste disposal problems. Hence, the study supports the development of green concrete technology for sustainable construction practices.

Introduction

Concrete is the most widely used construction material, but Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) production contributes significantly to CO? emissions. To promote sustainable construction, Corn Cob Ash (CCA)—produced by controlled burning of maize cobs—is used as a partial replacement for cement, leveraging its pozzolanic properties.

The study focuses on accelerated curing techniques (e.g., hot water curing at 90°C) to achieve early strength and investigates compressive strength and durability of concrete with 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% CCA replacement. Concrete cubes (150 mm³) were cast following M20 mix design, and CCA was prepared by drying, burning, grinding, and sieving.

Objectives include reducing cement usage, utilizing agricultural waste, determining the optimum CCA replacement, and promoting eco-friendly, cost-effective construction. Literature shows that CCA replacement up to 20% improves early strength under accelerated curing, while higher percentages may reduce concrete performance, making it suitable for non-load-bearing applications.

Conclusion

1) Corn Cob Ash can replace cement up to 10% 2) 10% replacement gave maximum strength 3) Accelerated curing improved early strength 4) Sustainable and economical construction material

References

[1] IS 516:1959 – Methods of Test for Strength of Concrete IS 516 [2] IS 10262:2019 – Concrete Mix Proportioning IS 10262 [3] Research papers on Corn Cob Ash concrete (IJERT, IJTSRD)

Copyright

Copyright © 2026 Prof. A. V. Kavade, Mr. Dive Vishwanath , Mr. Unchgaonkar Tejas Satish, Mr. Aryan Santosh Koli, Mr. Pingle Sudharshan Chandrakant. 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.