Use of Sugarcane Bagasse ash to Manufacture Light Weight Sustainable and Economical Concrete

Abstract

Sugarcane bagasse ash is the admixtures used in this study. As we are an agricultural country and we harvest at least two crops yearly. These two crops are harvested every year and the yields produce a lot of waste in the form bagasse. This produces around at least 20 to 30% of waste of the total yield. Traditionally this waste is disposed off by burning it in the open fields. This acts as a fertilizer for the next crop, but it has a very bad effect on the environment as the smoke generated increases the air pollution. Hence using this material as partial replacements to cement will not only prevent open field burning but will also reduce the cement consumption. The density of sugarcane bagasse ash is lesser than cement and hence reduces the weight of the concrete manufactured using this as partial replacement to cement[1]. There are lot of research studies about manufacturing of light weight concrete using light weight aggregates[2]. Hence in addition to the light weight aggregates if light weight mineral admixtures are also used they will further reduce the weight of concrete thus leading to reduction in self weight of the structure. Hence including sugarcane bagasse ash in concrete as partial replacement to cement will not only reduce and recycle the waste but will also produce an economical, sustainable and light weight concrete mix.