From waste to structures : mechanical and durability properties of bottom ash concrete

Current societal waste production has reached an alarming peak. The incineration of non-hazardous non-recyclable waste (namely municipal solid waste) can be a viable solution. The generated bottom ash is a potential material to be used in concrete as partial cement replacement. This has the double advantage of reducing landfill and at the same time reducing the cement content in concrete (largely responsible of the concrete carbon footprint). Using ground bottom ash as supplementary cementitious material is a potential option for valorisation. This paper presents mechanical and durability properties of concrete with bottom ash as partial cement replacement in comparison to two reference concrete mixes. Mechanical properties were affected by the use of bottom ash, however at a similar level as expected from ordinary coal combustion fly ash. Durability properties were preserved with 25 % of bottom ash replacement. This encourages further research to optimize the use of otherwise-landfilled-material as possible cement replacement in concrete