Mechanical Properties and Durability of Concrete Containing Indonesian Coal Fly Ash

Fadhilah Muslim, Rachmat Hermawan

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The use of cement, as the main construction material, is a major contributor to escalating global CO2 emissions as cement production increases. To address this challenge and align with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), fly ash from boiler combustion has a potential to replace a partial percentage of cement as a waste material. In line with Indonesian Carbon neutral’s strategy, biomass cofiring of Coal Fire Power Plant (CFPP) also contributes to net-balanced CO2 emissions. This research explores the potential benefits of incorporating fly ash derived from coal and biomass co-firing at power plants on the properties of concrete. This paper presents a comprehensive investigation of the impact of co-firing on the mechanical properties and durability of concrete. Three concrete mixes prepared using Portland Cement CEM I and cement replacement by 10%, 20% and 30% fly ash (FA) were subjected to rigorous testing, including assessments of density, porosity, sorptivity, and electrochemical analysis. The results revealed that replacing 10% of cement with fly ash yielded the most optimal outcome, with the concrete exhibiting remarkable corrosion resistance. Specifically, it exhibited a density of 2.226 kg/m3, porosity of 26%, sorptivity of 0.3 mm/s0.5, and a corrosion rate of 0.26 mm/year. Additionally, the Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) test demonstrated enhanced corrosion resistance of the reinforcing steel across all variations of concrete specimens. This was further confirmed by the carbonation test, which indicated the absence of carbonation (indicated by pink areas). In conclusion, the utilization of fly ash derived from coal and biomass co-firing in coal-fired power plants presents a promising alternative to traditional cement in concrete. This alternative material offers superior properties compared to concrete composed solely of Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC).

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)331-348
Number of pages18
JournalCivil Engineering and Architecture
Volume13
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jan 2025

Keywords

  • Cofiring
  • Concrete
  • Corrosion Resistance
  • Durability
  • Fly Ash
  • Mechanical Properties

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