No abstract

Early prevention methods in massive concrete structures to control the heat of hydration and, consequently, the development of cracks due to thermal expansion are important subjects, since these cracks may compromise structural integrity. In the present study, the sugarcane residues in massive concrete were used in order to investigate the reduction in the heat of hydration, the thermal expansion resistance, and also the fresh and mechanical properties of the concrete. The results showed that, by adding 2.0% of bagasse fiber and 5.0% of pozzolanic material to the concrete, the heat of hydration was reduced, and the strain due to the thermal expansion was smaller than the control mixture. Moreover, the compressive, flexural, and split tensile strength increased in comparison to the control mixture.

The use of sugarcane residues in mortar and concrete is believed to contribute to a reduction of costs and environmental problems, such as the reduction of mining of natural aggregates and incorrect disposal of the sugarcane residues. Bagasse fiber has a high water retention rate and thus may be considered as a countermeasure for urban heat islands. Because of these properties, bagasse fiber and bagasse sand were added into the preparation of the interlocking concrete blocks. An investigation of the flexural strength and the contribution of the sugarcane residues against an urban heat island was made. The results showed that, by adding 2.0% of bagasse fiber and 5.0% of bagasse sand in concrete, the flexural strength and the water retention content increased in comparison to the control composite. Moreover, the surface temperature and the water evaporation rate of the blocks were smaller in comparison to the control composite.

The use of sugarcane residues in mortar and concrete is believed to contribute to the reduction of environmental problems, such as the reduction of mining of natural aggregates as well as the improper disposal of sugarcane residues. Therefore, in this study, bagasse fiber and bagasse sand were added into the preparation of the interlocking concrete blocks, and the flexural strength and an environmental assessment of the blocks were analyzed. The flexural strength of the blocks was not affected by the addition of the bagasse fiber and bagasse sand. In addition, the environmental load of interlocking concrete blocks using sugarcane residues was lower than the blocks using conventional aggregates due to the greater simplicity of acquisition of the residues. Moreover, in the scenarios where the blocks are supposedly made on smaller islands, the emissions increased due to long-distance transportation, since conventional aggregates come from other islands.