High-Performance Concrete Incorporating Almond Leave Ash as Supplementary Cementing Material

Abstract

High-Performance Concrete (HPC) offers greater strength and resilience compared to conventional concrete. Almond leaves frequently clog areas where they are planted and have no recognized commercial value. In this research, Almond Leaf Ash (ALA) was included in HPC in percentages ranging from 0, 5, 10, 15, 20% as a cement additive. Concrete specimens, engineered to possess a minimum strength of 50 N/mm², were poured and underwent water curing for up to 56 days. The workability of the newly mixed concrete was evaluated by analyzing its compacting factor and slump. Furthermore, evaluations were conducted on the density, compressive and split tensile strengths, as well as the internal microstructure of the cured concrete. The workability tests revealed that the concrete stiffened as the proportion of ALA increased. Adding 5% ALA to HPC led to achieving a strength of 56.56 N/mm2 after 56 days of curing, surpassing the expected strength. Meanwhile, incorporating 10% ALA attained the targeted minimum strength of 50 N/mm2. 15% and 20% of the ALA, however, fell short of the minimum strength. The HPC's split tensile strength followed the same pattern. The results were corroborated by examining the microstructure of the HPC, revealing that substituting 5% ALA for cement yielded the highest strength.

Keywords

• Almond Leaf Ash
• Compressive strength
• High-performance concrete
• Split tensile strength