Effect of banana tree leaves ash as cementitious material on the durability of concrete against sulphate and acid attacks
Shahzeb Bhutto,
Fahad-ul-Rehman Abro,
Mohsin Ali,
Abdul Salam Buller,
Naraindas Bheel,
Yaser Gamil,
Taoufik Najeh,
Ahmed Farouk Deifalla,
Adham E. Ragab,
Hamad R. Almujibah
Affiliations
Shahzeb Bhutto
Department of Civil Engineering, Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Jamshoro, 76090, Sindh, Pakistan
Fahad-ul-Rehman Abro
Department of Civil Engineering, Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Jamshoro, 76090, Sindh, Pakistan
Mohsin Ali
Graduate School of Urban Innovation, Department of Civil Engineering, Yokohama National University, Kanagawa, 240-8501, Japan
Abdul Salam Buller
Department of Civil Engineering, NED University Constitute College Thar Institute of Engineering, Science and Technology, 69230, Mithi, Tharparkar, Sindh, Pakistan
Naraindas Bheel
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Bandar Seri Iskandar, Tronoh, Perak, 32610, Malaysia; Corresponding author.
Yaser Gamil
Department of Civil Engineering, School of Engineering, Monash University Malaysia, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, 47500, Bandar Sunway, Selangor, Malaysia
Taoufik Najeh
Operation and Maintenance, Operation, Maintenance and Acoustics, Department of Civil, Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering, Lulea University of Technology, Sweden; Corresponding author.
Ahmed Farouk Deifalla
Structural Engineering and Construction Management Department, Future University in Egypt, 11835, New Cairo, Egypt
Adham E. Ragab
Department of Industrial Engineering, College of Engineering, King Saud University, P.O. Box 800, Riyadh 11421, Saudi Arabia
Hamad R. Almujibah
Department of Civil Engineering, College of Engineering, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif, 21944, Saudi Arabia
The construction industry's rapid growth poses challenges tied to raw material depletion and increased greenhouse gas emissions. To address this, alternative materials like agricultural residues are gaining prominence due to their potential to reduce carbon emissions and waste generation. In this context this research optimizes the use of banana leaves ash as a partial cement substitution, focusing on durability, and identifying the ideal cement-to-ash ratio for sustainable concrete. For this purpose, concrete mixes were prepared with BLA replacing cement partially in different proportions i.e. (0 %, 5 %, 10 %, 15 %, & 20 %) and were analyzed for their physical, mechanical and Durability (Acid and Sulphate resistance) properties. Compressive strength, acid resistance and sulphate resistance testing continued for 90 days with the intervals of 7, 28 and 90 days. The results revealed that up to 10 % incorporation of BLA improved compressive strength by 10 %, while higher BLA proportions (up to 20 %) displayed superior performance in durability tests as compared to the conventional mix. The results reveal the potentials of banana leave ash to refine the concrete matrix by formation of addition C–S–H gel which leads towards a better performance specially in terms of durability aspect. Hence, banana leaf ash (BLA) is an efficient concrete ingredient, particularly up to 10 % of the mix. Beyond this threshold, it's still suitable for applications where extreme strength isn't the primary concern, because there may be a slight reduction in compressive strength.
