The Synergy between Bio-Aggregates and Industrial Waste in a Sustainable Cement Based Composite

Abstract

The effects of the fly ash and of the sunflower stalks and corn cobs within a cement-matrix composite were studied under the aspects of density, compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, elasticity modulus, and resistance to repeated freeze-thaw cycles. In the research were developed 20 recipes of cement-based composite, including the reference composite. Fly ash was used as partial cement replacement (10, 20 and 30% by volume), and the vegetal aggregates made by corn cobs and sunflower stalks as partial replacement of the mineral aggregates (25 and 50% by volume). The study results revealed that a lightweight composite can be obtained with 50% of vegetal aggregates, and the fly ash, no matter its percentage, enhanced the compressive strength and splitting tensile strength of the compositions with 50% of sunflower aggregates and the freeze-thaw resistance of all compositions with sunflower stalks.

Influence of Sunflower Seed Husks Ash on the Structure Formation and Properties of Cement Concrete

“…Additional research in the future development plan of what has already been carried out is seen in the study of the long-term properties of the resulting environmentally friendly concrete based on sunflower seed husks. In particular, large-scale studies of the structure and properties of concrete subjected to alternating cycles of freezing and thawing will be carried out, as well as water resistance and other properties that will characterize the special operating conditions of new environmentally friendly concrete based on sunflower seed husk ash [35,53,[76][77][78].…”