MECHANICAL AND DURABILITY PERFORMANCE OF TERNARY BLEND CONCRETE INCORPORATING FLY ASH AND SUGARCANE BAGASSE ASH

Abstract

The environmental impact associated with the production of ordinary Portland cement has intensified the need for sustainable alternatives in concrete construction. This study investigates the mechanical and durability performance of ternary blend concrete incorporating fly ash and sugarcane bagasse ash as partial replacements of cement. A comprehensive experimental program was conducted involving control, binary, and ternary concrete mixes prepared at constant water-to-binder ratio. Fresh properties, compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, flexural strength, modulus of elasticity, and key durability indicators including water absorption, sorptivity, chloride penetration resistance, and drying shrinkage were evaluated. Results showed that ternary blend concrete achieved balanced workability and reduced density compared to conventional concrete. While early-age strength was marginally lower, significant strength enhancement was observed at later ages, with the optimum ternary mix exceeding the 56-day compressive strength of the control concrete by approximately 8%. Durability performance was substantially improved, with reductions of up to 29% in water absorption, nearly 50% in chloride penetration, and about 25% in drying shrinkage. The findings confirm that the synergistic interaction between fly ash and sugarcane bagasse ash produces a denser and more durable microstructure, enabling effective cement reduction without compromising structural performance. This ternary blend system offers a technically viable and sustainable solution for structural concrete applications.