Published Paper Details:

The rapid growth of the construction industry has increased the demand for cement, resulting in higher carbon dioxide emissions and environmental concerns. To promote sustainable construction practices, this study investigates the use of She-Oak (Casuarina equisetifolia) leaf ash as a partial replacement for cement in M20 grade concrete. The She-Oak leaves were collected, cleaned, burnt under controlled conditions, and sieved through a 90-micron sieve to obtain fine ash suitable for concrete production, with an ash yield of nearly 20% from dry leaves. Concrete mixes were prepared with 0%, 5%, and 10% replacement of cement using She-Oak ash, and experimental investigations were carried out to evaluate workability, compressive strength, split tensile strength, water absorption, acid resistance, sulphate resistance, and crack behaviors. The slump test results showed a reduction in workability from 78 mm for conventional concrete to 71 mm and 64 mm for 5% and 10% replacement respectively, while still maintaining medium workability suitable for RCC applications. The compressive strength increased from 20.3 MPa for conventional concrete to 22.7 MPa and 23.9 MPa for 5% and 10% replacement, indicating improvements of about 11.8% and 17.7%. Similarly, split tensile strength improved from 2.34 MPa to 2.52 MPa and 2.66 MPa for 5% and 10% replacement respectively. Durability tests also showed favorable results, with lower water absorption, reduced acid attack loss, and improved sulphate resistance for the She-Oak ash mixes compared to conventional concrete. Crack pattern analysis revealed narrower and more uniformly distributed cracks in the 5% replacement mix, indicating improved bonding and stress distribution within the concrete matrix. Overall, the study concludes that the incorporation of 5-10% She-Oak leaf ash enhances both the mechanical and durability properties of concrete while reducing cement consumption and promoting effective utilization of biomass waste for eco-friendly construction applications.