ISSN 2320 6020

IJBSTR REVIEWPAPER VOL 1 [ISSUE 8] AUGUST 2013

Utilization of Sugarcane Bagasse Ash (SCBA) as Pozzolanic Material

in Concrete: A Review
Kanchan Lata Singh and S. M. Ali Jawaid*
ABSTRACT- Agricultural and industrial by-products are commonly used in concrete production as cement replacement materials
CRMs or as admixtures to enhance both fresh and hardened properties of concrete as well as to save the environment from the
negative effects caused by their disposal. Approximately 1500 Million tons of sugarcane is annually produced over all the world
which leave about 40-45 % bagasse after juice crushing for sugar industry giving an average annual production of 675 Million tons of
bagasse as a waste material. This paper examined the potential of bagasse ash for development as pozzolanic materials in concrete.
The bagasse ash is a by-product from the combustion of bagasse as a fuel in thermal power plants and sugar cane industries. This
paper presents a review on the uses of sugarcane bagasse ash in concrete. From review it may be concluded that Sugarcane Bagasse
ash can be used as a pozzolanic material in concrete due to its high silica content.
KEY WORDS: Bagasse Ash, Pozzolanic Activity, Supplementary Cementitious Materials, Compressive Strength.
INTRODUCTION
Utilization of agricultural, industrial and agro- industrial byproducts in concrete production has become an attractive to
the researchers over the entire world. Utilization of such
wastes as cement replacement materials can reduce the cost of
concrete and also minimize the negative environmental effects
associated with the disposal of these wastes. Currently, many
countries are using pozzolanic materials in concrete structures
for improving compressive strength and reducing the cost of
concrete.
The use of pozzolans in concrete production brings positive
effects to the environment, since by substituting large
quantities of cement by bagasse ash in concrete production,
reduces the problem associated with their disposal [1], and the
decrease in the emission of greenhouse gases (CH4 and CO2)
the main cause of global warming. The calcium hydroxide
(unfavorable product from the cement hydration) released
during the hydration of Portland cement reacts with the silica
content present in the pozzolans and water to form additional
calcium silicate hydrate which irresponsible for the
compressive strength in concrete [1].
Author: Kanchan Lata Singh is currently
pursuing master of technology program in
environmental engineering in Madan Mohan
Malaviya Engineering Collage Gorakhpur273010(Uttar
Pradesh)
India.
Email:kanchanlata0408@gmail.com
*Co-Author: SM Ali Jawaid is currently
Assistance Professor in, Madan Mohan Malaviya
Engineering Collage Gorakhpur-273010(Uttar
Pradesh) India .E-mail: smaj@rediffmail.com

As stated by Cordeiro et. al. (2008), the improved

compressive strength depends on both physical and chemical
effects of the SCBA. The physical effect (or the so-called filler
effect) is concerned with the packing characteristics of the
mixture, which in turn depends on the size, shape, and texture
of the SCBA particles. The chemical effect relates to the
ability of the SCBA to provide reactive siliceous and/or
aluminous compounds to participate in the pozzolanic reaction
with calcium hydroxide (an unfavorable product from cement
hydration) and water. The product of such reaction is called
calcium silicate hydrate, a compound known to be responsible
for compressive strength in cement-based materials. Cordeiro
(2006) found that the pozzolanic reactivity of SCBA depended
strongly on the incinerating temperature; a maximum
reactivity occurred at around 500C. Sugar cane bagasse ash
is recently accepted as a pozzolanic material, study of using
bagasse ash as a pozzolanic material is not well-known and its
uses are limited and most of bagasse ash is disposed in the
landfills [7], and only a few studies have been reported on the
use of bagasse ash as a pozzolanic material in respect of the
cement paste [8]. There is a continuous increase in the
production of sugar worldwide. Utilization of such agroindustrial by-products as cement replacement materials CRMs
in concrete will not only save the environment; but also will
reduce the cement production and consequently the high
energy consumption, reduce the CO2 emission, improve the
mechanical properties and durability of the produced concrete
and reduce the cost of concrete.

42

ijbstr.org

ISSN 2320 6020

IJBSTR REVIEWPAPER VOL 1 [ISSUE 8] AUGUST 2013

Table 1: Composition of Bagasse

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Bagasse ash (BA) from the sugar plant in Nakhorn- sawan was
brought into a porcelain grinding mill for 8 hrs to decrease its
particles size after grinding; SEM was used for
microstructures analysis. BA was blended with cement, sand
and water. Then each composition was poured into moulds
(diameter 1 height 2) and de-moulded after 24 hrs. The
samples were then taken to submerge under water in order to
cure, respectively. Consequently, the compressive strength [6]
was determined by UTM. From previous studies [5, 7], the
suitable curing time was 28 days for analysis the strength of
Concrete. SEM was used to identify microstructures of each
specimen. However, the expected structures such as C-H-S,
amorphous silica and other crystalline phases would be
explored by XRD further.
COMPARISION AND DISCUSSION
The compressive strength and the normalized compressive
strength of concretes are given in Fig 12.The compressive
strengths at the ages of 7, 28 and90 days were 60.5, 65.6 and
75.2 MPa, respectively. Meanwhile, the normalized
compressive strengths of the concrete combined with10BA
and with 20BA.The low early strengths and the later age
strength development was the common feature of the pozzolan
such as ground bagasse ash [6, 7]. The results indicate that
10% of BA seems to be the optimum limit.

Fig 2: Relationship between replacement level and

compressive strength.
Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) Test
One of the ways for solving this problem is the reuse of
sugarcane bagasse ash waste for the purpose of partial
replacement of natural raw material in the production of clay
ceramics. The micro structural characterization of clay
ceramic bearing sugarcane bagasse ash waste fired at different
temperatures by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The
effect of the incorporation of sugarcane bagasse ash waste on
the microstructure and technological properties of clay
ceramic were investigated the mechanical strength. This
behavior is caused by the high amounts of quartz and
unburned bagasse particles in the Sugarcane bagasse ash
waste. These results suggest that only small additions of
sugarcane bagasse ash waste should be used to produce clay
ceramics.

Fig. 1: Compressive strength of concrete.

Fig. 3: (10% Bagasse Ash)

43

ijbstr.org

ISSN 2320 6020

IJBSTR REVIEWPAPER VOL 1 [ISSUE 8] AUGUST 2013

REFERENCES
1.

Fig 4: (20% Bagasse Ash)

Microstructures by SEM of ashes and specimens at 28
days
In 10% Bagasse Ash, it was observed that particles of Bagasse
Ash with less porosity and less density, in the specimen,
compared to 20% Bagasse Ash due to the less amount of
bagasse ash the less porosity of bagasse ash. From fig 2(20%
bagasse ash) shows that large number of voids and loose
packing of soil grains which could be the reason for its
permeability and less strength in structure as compared to Fig
1(10% bagasse ash) shows small number of voids means
having more strength. Less porosity is beneficial because it
may cause samples to be easily broken at the edge of porosity
due to the stress concentration on their edges [11].
CONCLUSION
The main effects of the Sugarcane bagasse ash waste addition
were to increase of the water absorption and reduced the cost
of produced concrete.
1.

2.

3.

The results show that the (10% sugarcane bagasse

ash) in blended concrete had significantly higher
compressive strength, ascompare to 20% sugarcane
bagasse ash. Sugarcane bagasee ash is pozzolanic
material which may be utilized in the production of
pozzolanic cement concrete which leads to reduction
in cost.
The durability of concrete can be enhanced by using
the Sugarcane bagasse ash as a cement replacement
material as it can reduce the permeability and
increase the strength.
Partial replacement of cement by Sugarcane bagasse
ash increases workability of fresh concrete.

Sirirat Janjaturaphan and Supaporn Wansom (2010),

Pozzolanic Activity of Industrial Sugar Cane
Bagasse Ash, Journal of Science and Technology,
17, 349-357.
2. Singh N.B., Singh V.D. and Rai S. (2000).
Hydration of bagasse ash-blended Portland cement,
Department of Chemistry, DDU Gorakhpur
University, Gorakhpur, U.P. 273009, India.
3. Ganesan, K., Rajagopal, K., & Thangavel, K.
(2007), Evaluation of bagasse ash as supplementary
cementitious material. Cement and Concrete
Composites, 29, 515-524.
4. IS 516 -1959 Methods of Tests for strength of
concrete, Bureau of Indian Standards, New Delhi.
5. Ajay Goyal, A.M. Anwar, Hattori Kunio, Ogata
Hidehiko,(2007), Properties Of Sugarcane Bagasse
Ash and Its Potential As Cement - Pozzolana
Binder, Twelfth International Colloquium on
Structural and Geotechnical Engineering, 12th
ICSGE, Cairo Egypt
6. S. Sujjavanich and A. Duangchan, (2000),
Pozzolanic Reactivity and Water Requirement of
Bagasse Ash, Proceeding in the 2nd National
Concrete Conference, Chiengmai, Thailand.
7. Sumrerng Rukzon, Prinya Chindaprasirt,(2012),
Utilization of bagasse ash in high-strength concrete,
Materials and Design, 34, 45-50
8. Guilherme Chagas Cordeiro, Romildo Dias Toledo
Filho, Lus Marcelo Tavares, Eduardo de
MoraesRego Fairbairn, (2009), Ultrafine grinding of
sugar cane bagasse ash for application as pozzolanic
admixture in concrete, Cement and Concrete
Research, 39, 110115
9. Nuntachai Chusilp, Napongsatorn Likhitsripaiboon
and Chai Jaturapitakkul, (2009), Development of
Bagasse Ash as a Pozzolanic Material in Concrete,
Asian Journal on Energy and Environment, 10, 149159.
10. A. V. Narasimha Rao (2011) Applications of
agricultural and domestic wastes in geotechnical
Applications Journal of Environmental Research
and Development Vol- 5, No.3, Jan- pp: 673-678.

44

ijbstr.org