Development of high-strength high-ductility engineered cementitious composites using bagasse ash as a fly ash and sand replacement

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

7-4-2026

Abstract

This study evaluated at the macroscopic level the fresh and hardened properties of high-strength engineered cementitious composites (ECCs) incorporating: (1) post-processed bagasse ash (PBA) as a replacement of fly ash (class C mixtures) at 25, 50, 75, and 100% (by mass); and (2) raw bagasse ash (RBA) as partial sand replacement (class S mixtures) at 15, 30, and 45% (by volume). While bagasse ash collected from sugar mill was sieved to produce RBA, PBA was manufactured by burning RBA followed by grinding. As per experimental characterization, both PBA and RBA had high content of silica. PBA exhibited low loss on ignition and fine particle size comparable to fly ash. By contrast, RBA exhibited high loss on ignition, unburnt bagasse, and larger particle size than PBA. The ECC mixtures were evaluated via compression test, uniaxial tensile test, and single crack tensile test. A progressive decrease in workability was observed for class C and class S mixtures as PBA and RBA content increased, respectively. In terms of hardened properties, the compressive strength requirement for high-strength ECCs (i.e., compressive strength fc′'80 MPa) was met for all mixtures evaluated. The employment of PBA as a replacement to fly ash decreased tensile strain capacity (up to 26.6%), influenced compressive strength minimally (with changes contained between an increase of 7.6% and a decrease of 7.7%), and produced an increase in tensile strength (up to 16.8%). For class S mixtures, the partial replacement of sand with RBA produced a significant increase in tensile strength (up to 13.9%), a decrease in the composite’s compressive strength (up to 19.6%), and an increase in tensile strain capacity (up to 26.8%). Overall, experimental data suggest that using RBA as sand replacement improves the ECC tensile properties; however, care should be taken to select the appropriate RBA dosage to prevent an excessive decrease in compressive strength. Moreover, replacing up to 50% of fly ash with PBA improves compressive and tensile strength without significantly reducing the tensile ductility. It is noted that this study focused exclusively on macroscopic mechanical and physical properties of ECCs. Further optimization of these materials for practical applications at large scale will require a better understanding of the mechanistic behavior based on direct microstructural and micromechanical evidence.

Publication Source (Journal or Book title)

Construction and Building Materials

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