Laboratory Investigation on Compressive Strength and Micro-structural Features of Foamed Concrete with Addition of Wood Ash and Silica Fume as a Cement Replacement

Wood Ash (WA) and Silica Fume (SF) exhibit good cementation properties and have great potential as supplementary binder materials for the concrete production industry. This study will focus on enhancing the micro-structural formation and compressive strength of foamed concrete with the addition of WA and SF. A total of 3 mixes were prepared with the addition of WA and SF at various cement replacement levels by total binder weight. For this particular study, the combination of WA (5%, 10%, and 15% by binder weight) and SF (5%, 10%, and 15% by binder weight) were utilized as supplementary binder materials to produce foamed concrete mixes. As was made evident from micrographs obtained in the study, the improvement observed in the compressive strength of the foamed concrete was due to a significant densification in the microstructure of the cement paste matrix in the presence of WA and SF hybrid supplementary binders. Experimental results indicated that the combination of 15% SF and 5% WA by binder weight had a more substantial influence on the compressive strength of foamed concrete compared to the control mix. Furthermore, the addition of WA and SF significantly prolonged the setting times of the blended cement paste of the foamed concrete.