EVALUATING THE PERFORMANCE OF

BAGASSE ASH FOR SUSTAINABLE

CONCRETE PRODUCTION

PRESENTED BY:
KHALID SIKANDAR

SUPERVISED BY
PROF, DR. BAZID KHAN
Content
General
Introduction
Objectives
Significance
Research Methodology
Experimental Investigation
Result and Discussion
Conclusions and Recommendation
General
 Cement, is the most essential ingredient of
construction industry.

 30 billion tons of concrete are produced world wide

 Manufacturing process of cement is a significant

contributor to greenhouse gases.

 Cement production accounts for almost 5% of the

total world carbon dioxide (CO2) production.

 Researchers and Scientist are in search of alternate

binder (Eco friendly)
Introduction
SUGARCANE BAGASSE ASH (SCBA)
 Agro waste from Sugarcane Industry
 Bagasse –fibrous waste after extraction of juice
 Used as a fuel to generate heat
 Exhibits pozzolanic properties
 1 ton of sugarcane generates approximately 26% of bagasse and 0.62%
of residual ash
 Bagasse ash causes a great disposal problem
 Using SCBA as a pozzolanic material to replace cement can reduce the
consumption of cement
 Helps solve environmental issue caused by cement production
 juice extraction

1
40-45% fibrous residue obtained

2 Used as a fuel for heat generation

3 8 -10 % ash as waste

 Worldwide yield of sugarcane crops is 1500 million

ton. 4
Causes disposal
 In Pakistan, 65.451 million ton of sugarcane produced problems

Annually (PSMA 2016).

5
  To characterize bagasse ash as
partial replacement with cement.

 Investigating fresh concrete

properties with different
OBJECTIVES
percentages of Bagasse ash.

 To study mechanical and durability

properties of Concrete containing
different percentages of Bagasse ash
partially replaced with cement.
SIGNIFICANCE
 WASTE BAGASSE ASH IN CONCRETE
AS CEMENT REPLACEMENT LEADS TO
SUSTAINABILITY.

 REDUCE EMISSION OF CO2 , WHICH

MAKES IT ENVIRONMENTALLY
FRIENDLY.

 UTILIZING WASTE BAGASSE ASH IN

CONCRETE WILL REDUCE THE WASTE
DISPOSAL CRISIS.
RESEARCH METHDOLODY

PHASE 1 Bagasse ash characterization

PHASE 2 Fresh concrete Properties

PHASE 3 Mechanical and Durability

tests
 PHASE 1 (Bagasse ash Characterization)

Blaine’s Scanning
X-Ray X-Ray
Ash Sieving Electron
Ash Grinding Surface area Chapelle test Fluorescence Diffraction
( #200 ) Microscopy
of ash (XRF) (XRD)
(SEM)
 PHASE 1 (Bagasse ash Characterization)
SIEVING (passing from # 200 sieve)
Ash collected
 Unburnt and black carbon particles effect the
pozzolanic properties of bagasse ash (A. Bahurudeen
et al. 2014).
Ash retained
Ash was sieved with sieve # 200 and ash retained over
sieve was discarded.
Passed ash has surface area (2137 cm2/gm.) less than
cement (2670.3 cm2/gm). Therefore, grinding is
required.
Ash passed
ASH GRINDING & SURFACE AREA
Ash was grinded up to cement fineness.
Ceramics Ball
Grinding was conducted in ball mill. balls mill

Cement Ash
Operated at the rate of 66 rpm for 15, 30, 3500

45 and 60 min. 3000 2862.7

SURFACE AREA CM2/GM

2670.3 2617.8
2475.4
2500 2291.1
Required surface area was achieved by 2137.2
2000
grinding for 60 min.
1500

Ash grinding up to cement fineness 1000

enhances the pozzolanic properties 500

(Bahurudeen and Santhanam, 2015)
0
0 15 30 45 60

GRINDING DURATION (min)

CHAPELLE TEST
Test was conducted to evaluate pozzolanic
properties of bagasse ash.

Based on calcium hydroxide consumption.

Quantity of calcium hydroxide is estimated

by acid titration. HCL for HCL for Chapelle Activity % increase
control mixture ash mixture CaO (mg/g) = ((V1- w.r.t standard
Minimum standard for pozzolanic
(V1) (V2) V2)/ V1) *2642.86 (330 mg/g)
activity is (330mg/g)

(Raverdy et al., 1980)

19.2 9.8 1293.9 + 292
X-ray Fluorescence (XRF)

 Chemical composition of grounded bagasse

Chemical Composition Bagasse ASTM C618
ash was evaluated using XRF.
(Percentage) Ash Requirement
 Test was conducted in Physics lab
Silicon Dioxide (SiO2) 66.70
(Peshawar University).
Aluminum Oxide (Al2O3) 9.24 Minimum 70
Ferric Oxide (Fe2O3) 1.53
According to ASTM C618 standard, Calcium Oxide (CaO) 10.07
In order for a material to be classified as Magnesium Oxide (MgO) 4.60
a pozzolan its (SiO2 + Al2O3 + Fe2O3) Manganese oxide (MnO) 0.05
should be equal or greater than 70%
Sodium Oxide (Na2O) 1.30

Potassium Oxide (K2O) 4.32

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) 0.23

Phosphorus Pentaoxide (P2O5) 1.98

X-ray Diffractometry (XRD)
 XRD was performed for qualitative analysis of
silica in Bagasse ash.

 This test is clearly showing that except only a

single peak in the pattern, the material is
amorphous up to much extent.
Quartz

 Amorphous silica is desirable for high

pozzolanic activity (D. Govindarajan 2011)
Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)
Less no.
of voids

Spherical Irregular
particle particle

Elongated
particle

Small
particles Round
particle
Concrete Mix Design
Design Strength Assumed 21 Mpa
 Fineness modulus of F.A = 2.93
Bagasse Fine Coarse
Cement Water
 Maximum size of aggregate = 20 mm Mix ash W/C aggregate aggregate
(kg/m3) (kg/m3)
(kg/m3) (kg/m3) (kg/m3)
 Specific gravity of F.A = 2.60 CM 366 - 0.5 183 732.3 1013.5
 Specific gravity of C.A= 2.64 10BA 329.4 36.6 0.5 183 732.3 1013.5
 Water absorption of C.A = 0.23% 20BA 292.8 73.2 0.5 183 732.3 1013.5

 Water absorption of F.A = 3.6% 30BA 256.2 109.8 0.5 183 732.3 1013.5

 Rodded compacted density of 40BA 219.6 146.4 0.5 183 732.3 1013.5

aggregate = 1612 kg/m3

 Fresh concrete properties

Mix designation
Slump test
CM (control mix, No ash)
Phase 2

BC (amount of cement replaced with ash)

Compaction factor test
For instance;

10BC (10% cement replaced with ash)

Density test
Phase 2 (Fresh concrete properties)
Slump, Compaction factor & fresh Density
 Slump & compaction factor tests were performed for
assessing the consistency and workability of fresh
concrete.

 Also, for each concrete mix, the density of fresh concrete

was determined.
 Fresh
BAGASSE
Cement Concrete Slump Compaction
Mix ASH [W/C]
(Kg/m3) Density (mm) factor
(Kg/m3)
(Kg/m3)

CM 366 0 0.5 2308.4 29 0.91

10BC 329.4 36.6 0.5 2288.8 35 0.93

20BC 292.8 73.2 0.5 2267 47.5 0.94

30BC 256.2 109.8 0.5 2255.5 52.5 0.95

40BC 219.6 146.4 0.5 2249.3 58 0.97

 PHASE 3 ( Mechanical and Durability tests)

Water
Sorptivity Acid attack Compressive
absorption UPV test TGA
test test strength
test
PHASE 3 (Mechanical and durability tests)
Water absorption test Percentage Absorption*

 lime is consumed by ash during pozzolanic Mix

7-day 28-day 56-day 90-day
reaction & produces micro filler effect.

 Reaction products are very efficient in filling CM 2.45 2.11 1.71 1.51

up the voids, thus improving the durability

10BC 2.17 1.96 1.54 1.39
and impermeability. ( Mehta 1986 )

20BC 1.91 1.64 1.3 1.25

30BC 1.62 1.36 1.17 1.11

40BC 1.3 1.16 1.12 1.01

Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity (UPV)
 An ultrasonic pulse velocity test is nondestructive
test to check the quality of concrete.

 Strength and quality of concrete is assessed by

measuring the velocity of waves passing.
Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity (km/sec)
 Test was conducted at the age of 7, 28, 56, 90
days. Age CM 10BC 20BC 30BC 40BC

 UPV values increases because of the dense micro 7 days 3.665 3.595 3.591 3.455 3.42
structure.
28 days 4.155 4.175 4.14 3.985 3.935

56 days 4.71 4.74 4.9 4.365 4.025

90 days 5.41 5.92 5.64 5.45 4.82

Sorptivity test
Sorptivity (mm/min)
 Sorptivity is an important guide for concrete
MIX
durability. And it is the index of moisture
transport into unsaturated specimen. 7-Day 28-Day 56-Day 90-Day

 Resistance to capillary suction is higher in

CM 0.0414 0.0275 0.0243 0.0139
the bagasse ash mixes.

 Reactive pozzolans reduce the size of voids

10BC 0.038 0.0239 0.0205 0.0126
in hydrated cement paste (Mehta 1986).

 Dense micro structure is formed after 20BC 0.0339 0.0234 0.0162 0.0123
pozzolanic reaction (Mehta 1986).

30BC 0.029 0.0217 0.0147 0.0115

40BC 0.0227 0.0161 0.0129 0.0103

Compressive Strength Results
 Testing was carried out at the age of
7, 28, 56 and 90 days.

 Strength increases with increase in

age.

 Pozzolanic reaction starts at later Average Compressive Strength

stages. MIX 7 days 28 days 56 days 90 days

 Optimum replacement level is 20% MPa psi MPa psi MPa psi MPa psi

CM 19.39 2812.2 23.14 3355.3 24.96 3619.9 27.21 3945.4

10BC 14.95 2168.4 23.94 3471.3 25.82 3743.9 29.64 4297.8

20BC 13.05 1892.2 21.4 3106.6 24.92 3614.1 27.62 4004.9

30BC 12.88 1867.6 20.99 3044.2 21.99 3189.2 23.61 3423.4

40BC 8.15 1181.7 15.3 2218.5 16.65 2414.2 17.9 2595.5

 Specimens
Acid Attack Test placed in
acid
 Performed at 28 days specimens.

 Specimens were placed in 5%

Sulphuric and Hydrochloric acid
solution for 28 days. Sulphuric
acid
 After 28 days in acid, Weight loss
and strength loss were measured.

Hydrochloric
acid
 Weight loss results Strength loss results
Weight Loss (28 days) Strength Loss (28 days)

Sulphuric Acid Hydrochloric Acid Sulphuric Acid Hydrochloric Acid

% % % %
Weight Weight Weight Weight Strength Strength Strength Strength
weight weight MIX Strength Strength
MIX
Before After Before
After Before After loss After test loss
Before test Loss Loss test test test
test test test
(MPa) (MPa) (MPa) (MPa)
(gm.) (gm.) (gm.) (gm.)
CM 23.14 12.25 47.061 23.14 17.77 23.207
CM 8600 7790 9.42 8520 8170 4.11

10BC 8640 7870 8.91 8500 8190 3.65 10BC 23.94 14.73 38.471 23.94 18.91 21.011

20BC 8520 7820 8.22 8700 8396 3.49 20BC 21.425 14.1 34.189 21.425 17.46 18.506

30BC 8420 7810 7.24 8300 8026 3.3 30BC 20.995 14.05 33.079 20.995 17.54 16.456

40BC 8060 7620 5.46 8320 8060 3.13 40BC 15.3 12.09 20.98 15.3 13.22 13.59
Thermo-Gravimetric Analysis (TGA)
TGA is the weight loss of a test sample due to decomposition Ramadhansyah et al., (2012).
 Conclusions

Based on the experimental results, following conclusion can be drawn

 According to ASTM C618-04, the bagasse ash qualifies itself as a member of pozzolan family.

 Bagasse ash mixes showed better consistency and workability than CM.

 Water absorption and Sorptivity values decreased with increase in the amount of bagasse ash.

 Bagasse ash mixes are more effective in resisting acid attack as compared with CM.

 Likewise the compressive strength, the Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity increased with increased in
bagasse ash percentage.

 Optimum replacement level of bagasse ash with cement is 20%.

 Recommendations

 High volume replacement of bagasse ash, as replacement of cement in concrete should be

studied.

 Research can be commenced on some more agro-waste products, like corn, bamboo and
sorghum, either as an individual pozzolan or with the blend of two or more.

 Silica contents in any agro-waste product depends on the silica available in soil and capacity of
plant to fix it, therefore, bagasse ash of different areas could be used for the research and their
comparative evaluation may be drawn.

 Feasibility of bagasse ash as use in cement mortar for brick masonry and plaster need to be
evaluated.