Effect of palm kernel shell (pks) as coarse aggregate on the compressive strength of Revibrated concrete

Abstract

This paper presented the properties of sugarcane Leaves Ash (SCLA) combined with Neem Leave Ash (NLA) as alternative binders to cement and this could reduce the cost of concrete production and the effect of the products as wastes in environs. Sugarcane is among the principal agricultural crops cultivated in tropical country and its annual world production is 1.6 billion tons which generates about 279 million metric tons (MMT) of biomass residues, particularly sugarcane bagasse and leaves. Also, the neem products from neem tree generate large quantity of wastes annually. The sugarcane and neem leaves obtained were dried, burnt at 600oC to ashes, grinded into finer particles while the oxide composition on Al2O3; SiO2; CaO and Fe2O3 were determined. The mix ratio of 1:2:4 on 0.5 water-cement was adopted and the experiments on chemical composition, slump, setting time and compressive strength test on concrete partially replaced with SCLA/NLA by 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20% and 25% are presented. The casted concrete cubes were cured for 28 days at the intervals of 7 days while the maximum compressive strength at 28 days of curing by 5% is 22.81 N/mm2 and 10% is 20.85 N/mm2 on the percentage replacement of SCLA/NLA. This has significant effect on the strength of concrete and can be use in the production of light weight concrete. The strength logically increases with respect to curing age and decreases with percentage replacement of SCLA/NLA.