Assesment of Pozzolanic Performance of Sugarcane Bagasse Ash

Sugarcane bagasse ash is obtained as a by-product from cogeneration combustion boilers in sugar industries, and is reported to be a useful supplementary cementitious material in concrete. A clear evaluation of pozzolanic activity of sugarcane bagasse ash is imperative to achieve its effective utilization in concrete instead of being disposed as a waste in enormous quantities. Pozzolanic activity of raw sugarcane bagasse ash and a processed sample of the same was assessed by five different standard methods in this study. The methods used were: strength activity index test, lime reactivity test, Frattini test, electrical conductivity test, and lime saturation test. In addition, chemical and mineralogical analyses were also performed on the bagasse ash. Durability performance of concrete with bagasse ash blended cement was evaluated and compared with fly ash-based concrete. The results from the studies indicate that raw bagasse ash has low pozzolanic activity due to presence of fibrous carbon particles. Removal of these fibrous particles from raw bagasse ash, which occurs during the processing methodology followed in this study, significantly improves its pozzolanic activity. The permeability of bagasse ash blended concrete was found to be significantly reduced compared to control and fly ash blended concrete, at an equivalent level of compressive strength.