Characterization and use of sugarcane bagasse ash in soil-cement bricks

Abstract

In Brazil, the sugar and alcohol industries generate important products such as alcohol and sugar, and produce byproducts as sugarcane bagasse ash (SBAS). The SBAS has a high pozzolan content and can be applied as a partial cement substitute in the production of building materials. This study aims to characterise sugarcane bagasse ash and use it as a supplementary cementitious material in the production of soil-cement bricks. SBAS was used to replace the percentages of cement used in brick composition in the proportions of 10, 20 and 50% by mass. The chemical characterisation of SBAS indicated the presence of crystalline silica in the form of quartz and cristobalite. After partial replacement of cement by ash, the bricks preserved their compressive strength. Among the compositions studied, the partial replacement of cement by SBAS at 20% presented the highest compressive strength. The results showed that SBAS is a suitable byproduct for the manufacture of sustainable building materials.

Keywords:
Brick; Soil-cement; Ash; Sugarcane bagasse