Beneficiated pozzolans as cement replacement in bamboo-reinforced concrete: the intrinsic characteristics

The use of concrete containing supplementary cementitious materials has gained popularity as an eco-efficient and sustainable alternative to a number of concrete applications. In this study, beneficiated pozzolans, ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) and metakaolin (MK), were used as partial replacement of ordinary Portland cement in bamboo-reinforced concrete. In the mixtures, river sand and granite were used as fine and coarse aggregates, respectively. The compressive strength of concrete cubes, split-tensile strength of concrete cylinders, and flexural strength of reinforced concrete beams were determined after stipulated curing regimes. The morphology and mineralogy of bamboo and selected concrete mixtures were obtained using scanning electron microscope and X-ray diffraction, respectively. The concrete samples having blended cement were found to have better compressive and split-tensile strength than those made with conventional binder. Also, the mechanical characteristics of the samples improved up to 40% GGBS substitution. However, steel-reinforced concrete developed better flexural strength than the bamboo-reinforced concrete (BRC). The study recommends pretreatment of bamboo to ensure its adequate bonding with the cement paste, so as to achieve optimum performance of BRC.