Effect of Sugarcane Bagasse Ash on Strength Properties of Concrete

Abstract

The present study focuses on the utilization of Sugarcane Bagasse Ash as replacement material for cement in concrete production. Sugarcane Bagasse ash contains high amorphous silica content and aluminium ion. For experimental investigations, Sugarcane bagasse ash and its chemical properties are obtained from KCP sugar factory, Madhya Pradesh. Ordinary Portland cement was partly replaced by sugarcane bagasse ash in the ratio of 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20% and 25% by weight and the influence of Sugarcane bagasse ash as a partial replacement material has been examined on fresh concrete tests by Compaction factor test and Slump cone test as well as on hardened concrete with tests for Compressive strength, Split tensile strength, Flexural strength. The results indicate that inclusion of Sugarcane Bagasse Ash in concrete up to 20% level significantly enhanced the strength of concrete. The highest strength was obtained at 10% Sugarcane bagasse ash replacement level.

Introduction

Concrete is typically made from cement, water, crushed stone, and natural sand, with aggregates making up 70–80% of the mixture and significantly influencing its properties. Increasing demand for sustainable construction materials has encouraged the use of agricultural wastes as pozzolanic materials, including Sugar Cane Bagasse Ash (SCBA), a by-product of the sugar industry. When burned at 600–800°C, bagasse produces ash rich in amorphous silica, giving it pozzolanic properties suitable for use as a partial cement replacement.

SCBA contains high amounts of silica (60–75%) along with oxides such as K?O, CaO, Al?O?, and Fe?O?. Its effectiveness depends on its fineness and particle size. With large global production—especially in Asia and India—SCBA offers an abundant and sustainable supplementary cementitious material.

The study investigates the effects of replacing cement with SCBA at 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, and 25% for M25 concrete. Tests conducted include slump, compaction factor, compressive strength, split tensile strength, flexural strength, and modulus of elasticity. Materials such as OPC 53-grade cement, regionally available sand, 20mm coarse aggregate, and potable water were used.

A total of 72 specimens (cubes, cylinders, and prisms) were cast and cured for 28 days. Mix proportions followed IS 10262:2009, with six mixes (M0–M5). Workability tests showed that slump increased with higher SCBA content, indicating reduced water demand.

Conclusion

From the present analysis, I’ve come to the following conclusion. Up to 20% of OPC can be replaced optimally with well-burnt SCBA without any contrary effect on the desirable properties of concrete. 1) Partial replacement of cement by SCBA boosts workability of fresh concrete; therefore use of super plasticizer is not essential. 2) The results showed that, the concrete with 10% SCBA replacement after 28 days of curing, showed maximum strength when compared to concrete with other percentage replacement mixes. 3) As the flexural tensile strength of SCBA concrete is more it can be used in slabs, beams etc., where higher flexural tensile strength is required. 4) In the economic point of view, the cement replaced by SCBA saves money 5) Since bagasse ash is a by-product material, its use as a cement replacing material reduces the levels of CO2emission by the cement industry. In addition its use resolves the disposal problems associated with it in the sugar industries and thus keeping the environment free from pollution.

References

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Copyright

Copyright © 2025 Kunal Katare, Sourav Tyagi, Nitin Tyagi, Priyanshu Yadav, Shashank Gupta, Mukesh Pandey, Farhan Rahman. 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.