Use of Sugarcane Bagasse Ash as an Admixture in Concrete: A Century-Scale Review With Special Context to Braziland India (1900–2025)

Sugarcane bagasse ash (SCBA), the finely divided residue from the combustion of sugarcane bagasse in cogeneration boilers, has emerged as a viable supplementary cementitious material (SCM) in concrete. This review synthesizes more than five decades of peer-reviewed research (with historical context since the early 1900s) focusing on SCBA's production, processing, chemistry, and its influence on fresh properties, strength development, durability, and microstructure of cementitious systems. A special emphasis is placed on Brazil and India—the world's largest sugarcane producers—covering ash availability, processing routes (controlled calcination, grinding, and classification), compliance with pozzolan standards (ABNT NBR 12653; IS 1727 as proxies), field-scale applications, environmental benefits (CO₂ reduction, landfill diversion), and techno-economics. Key findings highlight that low-carbon, high-reactivity SCBA is obtainable via controlled burn (≈500–700 °C), carbon removal (low LOI), and ultrafine grinding; optimized replacements of 10–25% (by mass of binder) generally improve 28–90-day strength, reduce chloride ingress and permeability, and densify the C–S–H nanostructure. Variability due to feedstock, boiler operation, and milling demands standardized beneficiation and certification protocols. The paper concludes with a research agenda on performance-based specifications, microstructural fingerprinting, and life-cycle/field validation to mainstream SCBAin civil infrastructure.