An Experimental Investigation into the Effects of Using Partially Substituted Cassava Peel Ash for Cement in Concrete

Abstract

When placed in landfills, agricultural wastes have been a significant source of contamination to the environment. The rate of consumption of cement being an essential part of concrete cannot be overemphasized. There is need to explore alternative supplementary binding material which is eco-friendly and sustainable towards the production of green concrete. The purpose of this study is to explore the possibility of using cassava peel ash (CPA) as a partial cement substitute in concrete. The partial replacement was achieved in differing percentages of 0%, 1%, 2%, 3%, 4% and 5% by weight of cement in the M20 concrete mix, making use of mix ratio 1:1.5:3. The batched concrete mix samples were cast in cube and cylinder moulds of 100 x 100 x 100mm and 100 by 200 mm respectively and cured for 7, 14, 28, 56 and 90 days. On the fresh concrete mixtures, slump tests were carried out and the split tensile and compressive strengths of the cured concrete cylinders and cubes were evaluated respectively. In the findings derived from the slump test, it is evident that with the incremental augmentation of the percentage replacement of (CPA) within the concrete mixture, there is a discernible augmentation in the workability of the resultant mixture. The results indicated that at 1% cassava peel ash (CPA) replacement, the optimal compressive strength and split tensile strength values were 32.9 N/mm² and 3.9 N/mm², respectively. These values are comparable to those of the control mix with compressive and tensile strength values of 33.1 N/mm² and 4.1 N/mm², respectively. This research investigation unveils the potential suitability of (CPA) as a prospective partial substitute for cement within the composition of a concrete mixture.

Keywords

• Cassava peel ash
• Cement
• Compressive Strength
• Concrete
• Split tensile strength