Performance Evaluation of Sugarcane Bagasse Ash-Based Cement for Durable Concrete

Sugarcane bagasse ash (SCBA) is obtained as a by-product from cogeneration combustion boilers in sugar industries. Bagasse ash is mainly composed of reactive silica and can be used as pozzolanic material in concrete. Previous studies have reported that the utilization of SCBA as pozzolanic material in concrete can significantly improve its performance. A comprehensive investigation of durability performance of bagasse ash in concrete is not available in existing literature. In all previous studies, raw bagasse ash was ground to cement fineness and directly used in the concrete for the performance evaluation, without suitable characterization. Development of SCBA-based Portland pozzolana cement and its influence on the durability performance of concrete are discussed in this article. Durability performance was investigated by five different methods in this study. The methods used were rapid chloride penetration test (RCPT), chloride conductivity test, water sorptivity test, and Torrent air permeability test. The results from this study show that use of SCBA in concrete significantly enhances its durability performance