An Environmental Assessment of Interlocking Concrete Blocks Mixed with Sugarcane Residues Produced in Okinawa

Abstract

The use of sugarcane residues in mortar and concrete is believed to contribute to the reduction of environmental problems, such as the reduction of mining of natural aggregates as well as the improper disposal of sugarcane residues. Therefore, in this study, bagasse fiber and bagasse sand were added into the preparation of the interlocking concrete blocks, and the flexural strength and an environmental assessment of the blocks were analyzed. The flexural strength of the blocks was not affected by the addition of the bagasse fiber and bagasse sand. In addition, the environmental load of interlocking concrete blocks using sugarcane residues was lower than the blocks using conventional aggregates due to the greater simplicity of acquisition of the residues. Moreover, in the scenarios where the blocks are supposedly made on smaller islands, the emissions increased due to long-distance transportation, since conventional aggregates come from other islands.

Keywords

• sugarcane bagasse fiber
• sugarcane bagasse sand
• flexural strength
• interlocking concrete block
• environmental assessment