Fresh and Hardened Properties of SCC Incorporating Rice Husk Ash and Sugarcane Bagasse Ash

Self-compacting concrete represents a unique type of concrete that achieves self-compression through its mass, eliminating the need for external vibrations. The mechanical characteristics of self-compacting concrete can be enhanced by incorporating agricultural waste materials as partial substitutes for cement. In this experimental study, a graded M30 concrete mix was employed to produce self-compacting concrete by replacing cement with 6, 8, 10, 12, and 14% of sugarcane bagasse ash and rice husk ash. To assess the concrete's properties, both in its fresh and hardened states, several tests were conducted. Fresh properties were evaluated using l-box, slump flow, and U-box tests. The results indicated that sugarcane bagasse ash outperformed rice husk ash in enhancing the fresh properties of concrete up to a certain level of replacement. Hardened properties, including split tensile strength, compressive strength, and flexural strength, were tested at both 7-day and 28-day intervals. These tests revealed that rice husk ash exhibited superior performance in enhancing the hardened properties compared to sugarcane bagasse ash. In conclusion, this study underscores the suitability of both sugarcane bagasse ash and rice husk ash as viable options for partial cement replacement in self-compacting concrete, with each material exhibiting strengths in improving certain aspects of fresh and hardened concrete properties.