Utilization of sugarcane bagasse ash in self-curing concrete: Mechanical and durability property’s assessment

The effects of the chemical additive Polyethylene Glycol-400 (PEG-400) and Sugarcane Bagasse Ash (SCBA) on the strength of concrete were the subject of an experiment detailed in this article. SCBA is a concrete admixture that has a high silica content (around 80%), indicating that it has pozzolanic activity. It has cementitious properties, so we can partially replace it and study its effectiveness on concrete strength. This research used the PEG-400 shrinkage-reducing admixture as a curing agent. To improve hydration, PEG-400, a self-curing chemical, adds moisture to the concrete. It reduces concrete shrinkage, preventing water from evaporating from the concrete. To study the impact on concrete strength performance, sugarcane bagasse ash (SCBA) was used as a partial cement replacement, represented as a percentage of cement mass. Partially by weight of cement, polyethylene glycol-400 (PEG-400) is also added, and its effect on strength is investigated. This study incorporates PEG-400 at concentrations of 0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, and 2% by weight of cement, whereas the SCBA used as a substitute has concentrations of 0, 10, 15, and 20% by weight of cement. M30 grade concrete was used as the control mix in this experiment. Over the course of the curing process, which might last up to 90 days, the changes in mechanical parameters such as compressive, split tensile, and flexural strengths were tracked. Moreover, water absorption, sorptivity, rapid chloride permeability and water permeability tests on the durability properties have been conducted. The microstructural features of the concrete mixtures were also studied using SEM. This study's novel findings on the use of SCBA and PEG-400 in concrete for building purposes are particularly noteworthy.