WOOD ASH AS AN EFFECTIVE RAW MATERIAL FOR CONCRETE BLOCKS

Prabagar Subramaniam, Kalya Subasinghe, W. R. Keerthi Fonseka

Abstract: Utilization of wood ash as a partial substitution for cement is one of the promising method to increase the strength and thermal insulation for cement blocks. The present study focused to use wood ash as a partial replacement for cement material during sand cement block manufacturing. The concrete mixtures have been mixed with 10%, 15% 20% and 25% of wood ash as a partial replacement for cement with sand and tested for compressive strength, water absorption and heat release. Higher compressive strength was observed in the samples of 15% containing wood ash replacement material. All the samples other than 25% of wood ash replacement were shown lower water absorption and highest was found in 15% wood ash content. Slower heat release was observed in the samples of 15% and 20% of wood ash replacement after 21 days of curing time. Addition of 15% wood ash for the manufacturing of concrete blocks was developed and these blocks meet standard limits

Keywords: wood ash, water absorption, compressive strength, cement block.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.15623/ijret.2015.0402030