THE EFFECT OF UNTREATED SUGAR CANE ASH ON THE SETTING TIME AND COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH OF CONCRETE MIX
ABSTRACT
The paper examines the effect of untreated sugar cane ash on the setting time and compressive strength of concrete mix. Various procedures and methodologies were adopted to determine the effect untreated sugar cane ash has on the compressive strength of concrete mix using various techniques such as chemical composition analysis, laser ray diffraction, the physical absorption of gas, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques.
The microstructural characteristics of the concrete mix at 1, 7, 28, 90 and 600 days were evaluated by SEM and XRD. The compressive strengths of the mortars at the same ages were then obtained. The results show that the addition of 10 and 20% UtSCBA caused a slight decrease in workability of the mortars but improved their microstructure, increasing the long-term compressive strength.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND
Concrete is a construction material that compose of cement (Portland cement) as well as other cementious material such as ash and slag cement aggregates (coarse e.g. gravel, limestone or granite chemical admixtures).
Concrete solidifies and hardens after mixing with water and placement due to a chemical process known as hydration; the water reacts with the cement which bonds the components together, eventually creating a stone like material. Concrete is used to make pavements, pipes, architectural structures, foundations, motor way/roads, bridges/over passes, parking structures, bricks/block walls and footing, for gates, fence and poles.
Concrete is used more than any other manmade materials in the world. Reinforced concrete and pre-stressed concrete are the most widely used modern kinds of concrete functional extensions.
The construction industry has adopted the 28 days strength as a reference point and specifications often refers to compression test of cylinders of cubes of concrete which are crushed 28 days after they are made, During the first week to 10 days curing, it is important that the concrete is not permitted to freeze or dry out because either of these, occurrences would be very detrimental to the strength development of concrete.
In this, we want to ascertain the true effect of sugar cane ash on the setting time and strength of concrete being used in the construction works.
1.2 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The main objective of this work is to compare the compressive strength of concrete in which some percentages of cement had been replaced with equal weight of sugarcane ash with that of normal concrete produced from the same mix ratio, and to determine the effect of sugar cane ash on the initial and final setting time of concrete.
1.3 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The scope of this work is on the effect of untreated sugar cane ash on the setting time and compressive strength of concrete mix.
1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The significance of this work is to reduce cost of buying chemical admixture if need be in a particular construction.
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