An experimental study on behavior of wood ash in concrete as partial replacement of cement

This study shows the behavior of wood ash partially replaced cement in concrete by weight. Two types of wood ashes named WA1 and WA2 were selected from two wood sources for the study. Concrete mixtures were mixed with 0, 10, 15, 20 and 25 percent of two wood ash origins (WA1 and WA2) as partial substitutes by weight for binder and studied for compressive strength characteristic correspondingly. Concrete of characteristic strength 25 Mpa was designed for study. According to the test results, concrete cubes were poured and solidified for 7 and 28 days, respectively. Slump observed was shear by incorporating wood ash into the concrete, which indicates the stiffness of the mixture due to the reduced use of cement. Tests show that wood ash is slightly pozzolanic, so an increment in the amount of wood ash contained in the concrete mixture increases the need for water, so additives are required to increase the functionality of the concrete mixture. Compared to the standard mix limits, only one type of wood ash produced positive results. Therefore, although partial replacement of 10% WA1 showed the highest strength value in our study, wood ash is marginally recommended because the possibility of partial replacement of cement and the composition of various types of wood ash can affect its properties of concrete. Therefore analysis the wood ash before use is necessary. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.