Background study

In sugar industry, the remaining bagasse which is the dry pulpy fibrous material
shown in Figure 1 that being produced after the process of juice extraction from the
sugarcane already find its solution in recycling this waste beneficially. Bagasse is
currently utilised mostly as a fuel in the sugarcane industry to meet its own energy
needs, as well as a biofuel for the heat, energy, and electricity production and also in
the pulp manufacture and materials of construction. Therefore, the concern of this
study is how to handle the sugarcane bagasse ash (SCBA) shown in Figure 2 which is
the byproduct from the burning of these bagasse.

Figure 1: Bagagge Figure 2: Bagagge Ash

There are several previous literature that had been studied the useful of bagasse
ash as the partial replacement in concrete making. In one of the study by Jamsa(2017),
it been claimed that when this bagasse is burned under regulated conditions,
amorphous silica ash with pozzolanic characteristics is produced. As a result,
sugarcane bagasse ash (SCBA) can be used as a cement substitute to improve the
quality and lower the cost of construction materials in concrete while also reducing
pollution.[1]
In the other hand, a study by Eramma(2014), stated that the disposal of this waste
is already producing environmental issues in the area of the sugar mills. Most
construction materials, particularly cement, are in short supply, resulting in a constant
rise in price. Therefore, an experiment was carried out to see if bagasse ash could be
used as a cement replacement material similar to Ordinary Portland Cement.[2]
 This opinion also been accompanying by the study by Amin(2011), that also
stated the same agreement like the previous mentioned-research. The use of bagasse
ash, a waste product of the sugar industry, as a cement substitute in concrete has
provided a satisfying solution to environmental concerns about waste management. In
this research, the effects of using bagasse ash as a partial replacement for cement on
physical and mechanical parameters of hardened concrete, such as compressive
strength, splitting tensile strength, chloride diffusion, and resistance to chloride ion
penetration, have been studied.[3]

Alternative methods

In all these research, there are a lot of variation in managing its proportion of
bagasse ash in the mixture of concrete making. The procedure in preparing specimen
also vary to each other. It is depends on the subject of matter that had been focused on
each objective of study.
In Jamsa(2017) research, this bagasse ash has been chemically and physically
described before being mixed with cement in various proportions and used in
concrete. Sugarcane Baggase Ash being replaced with Cement Material generally in
the proportion at 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25% and 30%. Fresh concrete tests such as
slump cone tests were undertaken, as well as hardened concrete tests such as
compressive strength at the ages of3,7, and 28 days, and the optimum limit of bagasse
ash as a replacement for cement in concrete was determined.
In Eramma(2014) research, five different concrete mixes with the Bagasse Ash
replacement of 0%, 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% to the Ordinary Portland cement were
prepared for M25 grade concrete with water to cement ratio of 0.5 and 383.16kg/m3
cement content respectively. In this study, it have been clearly explaining the details
of the preparation of the concrete. For the cement preparation, 43 grade Ordinary
Portland Cement (OPC) is used for all concrete mixes. The cement used is fresh and
without any lumps. The testing of cement is done as per IS: IS 8112 - 1989. The
specific gravity, normal consistency, initial and final setting time of cement was found
according to the standard specification.
For the preparation of fine aggregate, the sand that was used in this study was
regular river sand. Sand that passes through a sieve with a size of 4.75 mm is used to
make concrete mix. The properties of sand such as fineness modulus and specific
gravity were determined as per standard. The specific gravity of fine aggregate is
found to be 2.65. The water absorption is 0.5%. The bulk density of fine aggregate in
loose and compact state is 1579 kg/m3 and 1689 kg/m3 respectively. : The water used
in the mixing of concrete was potable water and its free from suspended solids and
organic materials.
For the preparation of Sugarcane Bagagge Ash (SCBA), the SCBA utilised in this
research came from a sugar plant in Pandavapura, Mandya district, Karnataka, India.
Because the measuring instrument was not long enough to go through the furnace
while taking the bagasse ash, it was not able to measure the temperature in the furnace
while taking the bagasse ash. Despite the fact that the temperature could not be
measured, most furnaces have a temperature higher than that required for complete
combustion, which is roughly 800oC. However, it has been suggested that mineral
crystallisation occurs at temperatures around 650oC. The pozzolanic activity of the
bagasse ash is reduced in terms. Fresh SBA from the furnace was utilised in this
experiment. A modest amount of water was used to cooling it in the air. The chemical
compostion of SCBA shown in Table 1 below.

Chemical Composition Residual Bagasse Ash (%)

SiO2 65.37
Al2O3 0.22
Fe2O3 5.98
CaO 1.50
LOI 21.04

In research by Amin(2011), the making of its specimen of concrete also been

stated clearly. This research uses high-strength portland cement that met British
Standard specification BS: 12:1996. According to British Standard specifications,
sand that passed 100% through 850 and 10% through 600 was used. Crushed dolomite
Table 1: Chemical Composition of SCBA
aggregate was utilized in this experiment, which passed through a 12.5-mm sieve and
was retained on a 4.75-mm sieve with a fineness modulus of 6.26 and a specific
gravity of 2.7.
 Mill-fired bagasse ash was collected from Premier Sugar Mill Mardan (PSM),
Khazana Sugar Mill Peshawar (KSM), and Frontier Sugar Mill Thaktbhai Mardan
(FSM). The samples were taken at random from the mounds in the sugar mills' yards
and transported to the lab in plastic bags. Because of the high carbon concentration,
the ash collected from sugar mills was black in colour. It was then burned at 650°C
for 1 hour, reducing the carbon content to 4.5 percent. The ash was powdered after
cooling before being used as a cement substitute ingredient.
It is also have the details on how the mix proportions and casting of concrete
specimens being prepared. Seven different proportions of concrete mixes which is
bagasse ash ranging from 5% to 30% by weight of cement including the control mix
were prepared with a water binder ratio of 0.45 for a design cube compressive
strength of 25 N/mm2. These mixes were designated as CB0 for control and CB1,
CB2, CB3, CB4, CB5, and CB6 for bagasse ash-concretes, containing 5, 10, 15, 20,
25, and 30% bagasse ash, respectively. Table 2 summarises the proportions of the
combination.
The concrete was mixed for 5 minutes in a laboratory mixer, including dry form
mixing. For mixes CB0 to CB6, 100 mm3 cubes were cast from each mix for
compressive strength testing. Cylinders measuring 150 mm × 300 mm were cast from
each mix for determining the splitting tensile strength. Additionally, 100-mm-
diameter and 50-mm-thick cylindrical specimens were cast from each mix for water
and chloride penetration tests. After casting, all specimens were left covered in the
casting room for 24 h. The specimens were then demolded and transferred to a moist
curing room until the testing time.

Table 2: Mix proportion of Bagagge Ash Blended concrete

Solutions (mechanical properties)

 The available literature that been studied identifies that the addition of SCBA as a
partial replacement for cement affects the mechanical properties of concrete, such as
compressive strength, flexural strength, and tensile strength.
In Jamsa(2017) research, when concrete containing SCBA was subjected to
sulphate attack, the results showed that the best compressive strength was attained
with 20% cement substitution in both situations, and that the strength decreased as the
proportion increased beyond 20%. After the study, it was discovered that
conventional concrete had a compressive strength of 24.45 N/mm2 after 28 days, and
that replacing SCBA in cement by 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% increased the
compressive strength to 24.45 N/mm2, 24.89 N/mm2, 25.58 N/mm2, 26.73 N/mm2, and
28.05 N/mm2, respectively. The compressive strength of conventional concrete after 7
days is 20N/mm2, whereas replacing SCBA in cement by 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%
enhances the compressive strength to 20.22 N/mm 2, 20.98 N/mm2, 21.50 N/mm2, and
22.43 N/mm2, respectively. With the increasing ratio of SCBA up to 20%, the
concrete's compressive strength rose with partial substitution of sand by SCBA. The
7-day, 28-day, and 60-day compressive strengths of concrete increase initially as the
cement SCBA replacement percentage increases, peaking at around 20% and then
declining.
For its tensile strength, In this study of mineral admixtures in concrete at high
temperatures, they discovered that a 20% replacement is ideal when the concrete is
not subjected to diverse wetting and drying, as well as when the concrete is subjected
to varied wetting and drying. After the study, it was discovered that ordinary concrete
tested at 28 days had a split tensile strength of 2.82 N/mm 2, while replacing 20% of
the cement with glass powder increased the split tensile strength by 3.88 N/mm 2. At 7
days, conventional concrete has a split tensile strength of 1.89 N/mm 2, but SCBA in
cement has a split tensile strength of 2.54 N/mm2. The split tensile strength of
concrete increases initially as the fraction of cement replaced with SCBA grows,
peaks at at 20%, and then declines.
For its flexural strength, it had been studied that 20% dose of SCBA is perfect for
replacement cement. After the study, it was discovered that the standard concrete had
a flexural strength of 3.46N/mm2 after 28 days of testing, and that replacing glass
powder in cement by 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% increased the flexural strength by
63.07 percent, 88.07 percent, and 100%, respectively. Conventional concrete has a
flexural strength of 2.72N/mm2 after 7 days. Adding SCBA to the cement by 5%,
10%, 15%, and 20% enhances the flexural strength by 5.88 percent, 30 percent, 44.85
percent, and 13.97 percent after 28 days, respectively. The Flexural Strength of
cement improves by 22.97 percent, 31.45 percent, and 41.34 percent when SCBA is
replaced by 5%, 10%, and 20%, respectively. At 28 days, the flexural strength of
concrete containing 20% waste SCBA rose by 5.28 percent, 18.38 percent, and 8.92
percent, respectively. Experimented with replacing cement with SCBA and found that
a 20% substitution of cement resulted in a significant improvement in flexural
strength.
In Eramma(2014) research, the experimental and analytical investigations of
compressive strength, split tensile strength, and flexural strength of M25 grade
concrete with percentage substitution of SCBA to cement content are summarised in
tables 3 to 5 and Figure 3 to Figure 8, respectively.
% of SBA 7 days (MPa) 28 days (MPa) 56 days (MPa) 90 days (MPa)
B00% 19.84 31.85 34.51 37.62
B05% 22.07 32.88 36.58 40.73
B10% 24.99 35.40 40.44 44.14
B15% 17.92 24.58 30.51 34.21
B20% 15.85 23.25 27.25 30.36

Table 3: Compression Strength Results of SCBA Concrete

Figure 3: Compressive Strength of M25 Grade Concrete at Different Ages

% of SBA 7 days (MPa) 28 days (MPa) 56 days (MPa) 90 days (MPa)

B00% 1.50 2.44 2.92 3.48
B05% 2.07 3.06 3.48 4.05
B10% 2.49 3.48 4.05 4.61
 B15% 1.13 1.69 2.16 2.63
B20% 0.80 1.36 1.79 2.16

Table 4: Split Tensile Strength Results of SCBA Concrete

Figure 4: Split Tensile Strength of M25 Grade Concrete at Different Ages

% of SBA 7 days (MPa) 28 days (MPa) 56 days (MPa) 90 days (MPa)

B00% 7.08 9.52 10.41 10.94
B05% 8.25 10.35 10.86 11.16
B10% 9.43 10.71 11.48 11.2
B15% 6.55 8.98 9.42 10.16
B20% 5.94 7.87 8.85 9.36

Table 5: Flexural Strength Results of SCBA Concrete

Figure 5: Flexural Strength of M25 Grade Concrete at Different Ages

Figure 6: Compressive Strength of M25 Grade Concrete at Different

Percentage of Bagagge Ash Content
 Figure 7: Split Tensile Strength of M25 Grade Concrete at Different
Percentage of Bagagge Ash Content

Figure 8: Flexural Strength of M25 Grade Concrete at Different Percentage

of Bagagge Ash Content
 In Amin(2011) research, The compressive strength of bagasse ash-blended
concrete specimens is shown in Table 6. Comparison of the compressive strength data
for 3, 7, and 28 days of curing times shows that the compressive strength increases
with increasing bagasse ash up to 10% and then at 20% and attains equivalent values
to those of the control concrete specimens. Three days compressive-strength value of
20% bagasse ash concrete is equivalent to 7 days compressive-strength value of the
control specimen, whereas the compressive strength at 28 days is higher. The relative
increase in compressive strength of 20% bagasse ash-blended concretes compared
with control concrete for all ages of curing is 24.5% at 3 days curing time, whereas at
7 and 28 days, the relative increase in strength decreases. This confirms the fact that
concrete with a bagasse ash content of up to 20% develops early compressive strength
as compared with control concrete specimens. At 25% and 30% of bagasse ash, the
strength decreases to a lesser value than that of control specimens. Therefore, 20%
bagasse ash-blended concrete seems to be the optimal limit.

Table 6: Strength of Bagasse Ash-Blended Concrete

In the other hand, Table 7 shows the splitting tensile strength values of bagasse
ash-blended concretes after 28 days of curing. The splitting tensile strength values
increase in specimens having up to 20% bagasse ash addition; however, the value
drops at 25% and 30%. Obviously, a maximum ash content of 20% is regarded ideal.

Table 7: Splitting Tensile Strength of Bagasse Ash-Blended

Concrete
References
[1] Sufiyan S Jamsa, Dr.K B Parikh, M.A. Jamnu (2017), Sugarcane Bagasse Ash
Replace By Cementitious Material, IJRSD International Journal for Scientific
Research Development, Vol 4, Issue 11.
[2] Shruthi H R, Dr. H Eramma, Yashwanth M K, Keerthi gowda B S (2014), A
study on Bagasse Ash Replaced Plain Cement Concrete, Inernational Journal of
Advanced Technology in Engineering and Science, Volume No. 02, Issue No. 08.
[3] Noor-ul Amin (2011), Use of Bagasse Ash in Concrete and Its Impact on the
Strength and Chloride Resistivity, Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering.