GCoMSE2017 IOP Publishing

IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 1234567890271 (2017) 012001 doi:10.1088/1757-
899X/271/1/012001

Utilization of sugarcane bagasse ash in concrete as partial

Sajjad Ali Mangi1, Jamaluddin N1, Wan Ibrahim M H1, Abd Halid Abdullah1,
A S M Abdul Awal1, Samiullah Sohu1 and Nizakat Ali2
1 Jamilus Research Centre, Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering,
Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, 86400 Batu Pahat, Johor, Malaysia.
2 Graduate Student, Department of Civil Engineering, MUET, Campus, Khairpur,
Pakistan.
Corresponding author: [email protected]

Abstract. This research addresses the suitability of sugarcane bagasse ash (SCBA) in
concrete used as partial cement replacement. Two grades of concrete M15 and M20 were
used for the experimental analysis. The cement was partially replaced by SCBA at 0%,
5%, and 10%, by weight in normal strength concrete (NSC). The innovative part of this
study is to consider two grades of concrete mixes to evaluate the performance of concrete
while cement is replaced by sugarcane bagasse ash. The cylindrical specimens having
size 150 mm x 300 mm were used and tested after curing period of 7, 14 and 28 days. It
was observed through the experimental work that the compressive strength increases
with incorporating SCBA in concrete. Results indicated that the use of SCBA in concrete
(M20) at 5% increased the average amount of compressive strength by 12% as compared
to the normal strength concrete. The outcome of this work indicates that maximum
strength of concrete could be attained at 5% replacement of cement with SCBA.
Furthermore, the SCBA also gives compatible slump values which increase the
workability of concrete.

Introduction
Sugarcane is main food crop in tropical and subtropical countries. It is the major resource for
the sugar production. Sugarcane bagasse (SCB) is the waste created after juice extraction from
sugarcane. The Sugarcane bagasse ash (SCBA) is acquired through the control burning of
sugarcane bagasse. The SCB creates the environmental nuisance due to direct disposal on the
open lands and forms garbage heaps in that area. According to Barroso that one-ton sugarcane
generates the 280 kg of bagasse waste. It generates economics as well as environmental related
issues, to solving this issues, enormous efforts have been global towards the bagasse waste
management i.e. handling, disposed-off and application. To reduce the environmental burden,
the usage of waste materials in concrete is a significant aspect, the sugarcane bagasse ash
(SCBA) is a waste material of sugar industry, which has a good potential to utilize in concrete
as cement replacement. Sugarcane is main crop and besides that high worth crop of south Asia
normally termed as cash-crop. It is important to sugar and production related to it. The sugar
industry plays an essential part in the countrywide economy of Pakistan. According to the report
of Pakistan sugar mills association, Pakistan produced 65.45 million tons of sugarcane in the
year 2015-16 and production of year 2016-17 is forecasted at 71.371 million tons. Furthermore,
globally, the researchers are concentrating on usage of both industrial and agricultural waste,
as raw material sources for the industry, the appropriate usage of this waste material would not
only be economical benefits, but may also result in foreign exchange wages and environmental
pollution control.

Cement is the most widely consumable material in the infrastructure development works. It
is considered as a durable material of construction. However, the environmental issue of cement
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GCoMSE2017 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 1234567890271 (2017) 012001 doi:10.1088/1757-
899X/271/1/012001

has become a rising concern, as cement industries are accountable around 2.5% of total
worldwide waste emissions from industrial sources. It is need of time to rise the use of cement
replacement materials in the concrete which can reduce the significant amount of cement
consumption, because the production of cement required huge energy and conferring to Asma
it is also accountable for 5% of global anthropogenic CO 2 release (every ton of cement produces
around 01 ton of CO2), and their usage can also improve the properties of concrete. The burning
of organic waste of sugar industry known as bagasse, produces the considerable amount of ash
named as sugarcane bagasse ash (SCBA). SCBA is freshly acknowledged as a pozzolanic
material; though, there is partial research statistics accessible to the effects of SCBA on the
behavior of concrete.
Therefore, it was highly recommended to conducting research on the bagasse and their
impact on concrete behavior. Generally, the bagasse waste is disposed to the landfills or
disposal sites where ever present in the country and rare studies has been conveyed yet. The
bagasse ash can be used as partial cement replacement in concrete. Meanwhile, in the present
era there is a huge rise in the production of sugar worldwide, and almost 1500 Million tons of
sugarcane are yearly produced in all over the world, which leaves around 40 - 45% bagasse
afterward juice removal. So, a normal yearly production of bagasse is projected as 600Million
tons, which is a bulky waste from sugar industry. For the construction industry the concrete is
one of the most important item which is prepared for mixing of cement, fine aggregates and
coarse aggregates and within the concrete the role of cement is very vital. Without cement, one
cannot build reinforced structures. However, the high used of cement are an important concern
of world environmental professionals. Considering the facts, one of the effective way to reduce
the environmental impact is to use mineral admixtures, as a partial cement replacement in
concrete, which will have the possible to cost reduction, energy conservation, and waste
emission minimization.
Furthermore, Malyadri has carried out the research on SCBA with 5% cement replacement
in M25 (1:1:2) grade of concrete and found that the increase in the strength of concrete with
use of SCBA but he never produces the optimum amount of SCBA that proposed to be utilized
in sustainable concrete production.
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1757-899X/271/1/012001/meta

In addition to that Kawade [10] has carried out the research work on sugarcane bagasse ash
as a partial replacement of cement with 10%, 15%, 20%, 25% & 30% cement replacement in
M20, M30 & M40 grades of concrete and found that the OPC could favorably be replaced with
SCBA up to maximum replacement of 15%. Although, the optimal replacement value of SCBA
content was attained as 15.0%.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/321661061_Utilization_of_Sugarcane_Bagasse_
Ash_in_Concrete_as_Partial_Replacement_of_Cement

Conclusion
This research was successfully carried out, to the establishment of SCBA as an alternative
cement replacement material in concrete. After the detailed investigation the following
conclusions have been drawn:

• SCBA in concrete gives the higher compressive strength as compared to the normal
strength concrete, hence optimal results were found at the 5% replacement of cement with
SCBA.
• The usage of SCBA in concrete is not only a waste-minimizing technique, also it saves
the amount of cement.

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GCoMSE2017 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 1234567890271 (2017) 012001 doi:10.1088/1757-
899X/271/1/012001

• The replacement of cement with SCBA increases the workability of fresh concrete;
therefore, use of super-plasticizer is not essential.
• It is recommended that future research should be performed to assess the use of SCBA in
concrete for several properties of concrete for example modulus of elasticity, flexure test,
split tensile test, drying shrinkage etc.