EFFECTIVENESS OF AGRO-WASTES MATERIALS IN MINIMIZING ALKALI-SILICA REACTIONS IN CONCRETE PAVEMENT

Authors
  • J. A. Ajayi

  • C. M. Ikumapayi

  • O. J. Oyedepo

  • A. O. Olalemi

Keywords:
Agro-waste, Sawdust ash, Rice husk ash, Bamboo leave ash, alkali-silica reaction, concrete pavement
Abstract

This study assesses the effectiveness of three agro-waste-based supplementary cementitious materials: Sawdust Ash (SDA), Rice Husk Ash (RHA), and Bamboo Leaf Ash (BLA) in reducing alkali-silica reaction (ASR) in concrete pavement. The partial replacement of cement with agricultural waste materials to manufacture concrete pavements can considerably contribute to Sustainable Development Goal 11 (SDG 11), which aims to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. Given the growing concern about concrete durability and environmental sustainability, the study investigates the application of these pozzolanic materials as partial cement replacements (0-30%) in preventing alkali Silica reaction (ASR) induced expansion. A grade 15 concrete samples with dimensions of 30 mm by 30 mm by 100 mm were produced using a water cement ratio of 0.55 for ASR evaluation, while another set of concrete samples with 100 mm by 100 mm were created for water absorption tests. The accelerated mortar bar test (ASTM C1260) was used to measure ASR potential, as well as water absorption tests to determine the materials' durability. X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) analysis showed that all three ashes met ASTM C618 criteria, with combined SiO?, Al?O?, and Fe?O? composition surpassing 70%, indicating pozzolanic potential. RHA demonstrated the most effective ASR reduction, with expansions as low as 0.010% at 10-15% replacement. BLA and SDA both demonstrated effective performance at optimal replacement levels (10-15%), however SDA had a narrower effective range and became reactive at higher dosages. To maintain both durability and reactivity control, all materials should be replaced at 10-15% intervals.

References

Adanikin A., Falade F., Olutaiwo A. O., Faleye E. T., and Ajayi J.A., (2019). Investigation of the effect of alkali silica reaction (ASR) on properties of concrete pavement admixed with cow bone ash (CBA) by electrical resistivity test. In IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering (Vol. 640, (1), p. 012049). IOP Publishing.

Ahsan M. B., and Hossain Z., (2018). Effect of particle size of rice husk ash (RHA) in mitigating alkali silica reaction (ASR) in concrete pavement. International Journal of Pavement Research and Technology, 11(8), 861-866.

Ajayi J. A., Gana A. J., Adanikin A., and Busari A., (2023a). Mitigation of Alkali-Silica reactions in concrete pavements using supplementary cementitious materials. Materials Today: Proceedings, 86, 59-66.

Ajayi J.A., Gana A. J., Ayinnuola G., Adanikin A., Faleye E., and Popoola O., (2023b). Suppression of Alkali-Silica Reactions in Concrete by Partially Replacing Cement with Cassava Peel Ash. In 2023 International Conference on Science, Engineering and Business for Sustainable Development Goals (SEB-SDG) (Vol. 1, pp. 1-4). IEEE.

ASTM C 618-94 (1994). American Standard for Testing and Materials, Standard Specification for Coal Fly Ash and Raw or Calcined Natural Pozzolan for Use in Concrete. ASTM International, West Conshohocken.

ASTM C1293 (2018). Standard Test Method for Determination of Length Change of Concrete Due to Alkali-Silica Reaction, Books of Standard Volume, 4(2), ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA

ASTM C1293-20a (2020). Standard test method for determination of length change of concrete due to alkali-silica reaction. ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA.

ASTM, C1260. (2009). Standard test method for potential alkali reactivity of aggregates (Mortar-Bar Method), 2009 ASTM Annual Book of Standards, Vol. 04.02, Concrete and Aggregates. ASTM International, West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania.

BS 1881-122, (2011). Testing concrete. Part 122: method for determination of water absorption (2011). BSI: London, UK

Chimmaobi O., Mbadike E. M., and Alaneme G. U., (2020). Experimental Investigation OF Cassava Peel Ash in the Production of Concrete and Mortar. Umudike Journal of Engineering and Technology, 6(2): 10 – 21.

EN 196-1, (2016). Methods of Testing Cement – Part 1: Determination of Strength

Foroughi M., Tabatabaei R., and Shamsadeini M., (2012). Effect of natural pozzolans on the alkali-silica reaction of aggregates in real concrete specimens. Journal on Basic and Applied Scientific Research, 5248-5254.

Ikumapayi C. M., Ajayi J. A., and Fasuba A., (2024). Enhancement of Concrete Properties Using Sawdust Ash and Superplasticizer. Advances in Science and Technology, 154, 67-72.

Lothenbach B., Scrivener K. L., and Hooton D., (2011). Supplementary Cementitious Materials. Cement and Concrete Research, 41(3): 217-229.

Mohod M. V., and Kadam K. N., (2016). A comparative study on rigid and flexible pavement: A review. IOSR Journal of Mechanical and Civil Engineering (IOSR-JMCE), 13(3), 84-88.

Munir M. J., (2016). A literature review on alkali silica reactivity of concrete in Pakistan. Pakistan Journal of Science, 68(1), 1-7.

Njoku J., (2012). Experts explore the use of concrete in road pavement. Retrieved from: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/05/experts-explore-use-of-concrete-in-road-pavement/. Accessed on 19th of April 2025.

Olatokunbo O., Anthony E., Rotimi O., Solomon O., Tolulope A., John O., and Adeoye O., (2018). Assessment of strength properties of cassava peel ash-concrete. International Journal of Civil Engineering and Technology, 9(1), 965-974.

Onwuemenyi O., (2022). Nigeria now self-sufficient in cement production. Retrieved from: https://sweetcrudereports.com/nigeria-now-self-sufficiency-in-cement-production/. Accessed on 19th of April 2025.

Onyelowe K. (2019). Review on the role of solid waste materials in soft soils reengineering. Materials science for Energy Technologies, 2(1): 45-51.

Salau M. A., Ikponmwosa E. E., and Olonade K. A., (2012). Structural strength characteristics of cement-cassava peel ash blended concrete. Civil and Environmental Research, 2(10): 68-77.

Santos M., De Brito J., and Santos Silva A., (2020). A review on alkali-silica reaction evolution in recycled aggregate concrete. Materials, 13(11), 2625.

Ugboaja C. E., Ezeagu C. A., Okonkwo V. O., Agbo-Anike O. J., (2022). Experimental study on the properties of sawdust concrete with partial replacement of Cement with sawdust ash. Journal of Inventive Engineering and Technology, 2(2): 1-11.

VicRoads (2014). Test method RC 376.0, Potential Alkali-Silica Reactivity (Accelerated Mortar Bar Method), September 2014

Downloads
Published
2026-03-31
Section
Articles
License

Copyright (c) 2026 FUTA JOURNAL OF ENGINEERING AND ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Copyright

With the submission of a manuscript, the corresponding author confirms that the manuscript is not under consideration by another journal. With the acceptance of a manuscript, the Journal reserves the exclusive right of publication and dissemination of the information contained in the article. The veracity of the paper and all the claims therein is solely the opinion of the authors not the journal.

How to Cite

EFFECTIVENESS OF AGRO-WASTES MATERIALS IN MINIMIZING ALKALI-SILICA REACTIONS IN CONCRETE PAVEMENT. (2026). FUTA JOURNAL OF ENGINEERING AND ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY, 20(1), 1-7. https://doi.org/10.51459/futajeet.2026.20.1.529

Similar Articles

11-20 of 66

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.