Studies on Strength Characteristics of Pond Ash Replaced by Fine Aggregate in Pavement Quality Concrete

Energy consumption and generation is increasing day by day due to rapid industrialization & urbanization. A major portion of the energy is generated by Thermal Power Plants. Pond ash (PA) and other by products from these plants are disposed in large quantities. Pond ash utilization helps to reduce the consumption of natural resources. In current scenario using natural sand is costlier due to the increased demand and limited supply. Hence there is scope for using Pond ash as Fine Aggregate (FA). Use of alternative material in concrete such as industrial by-products like Coal Ash (Fly Ash and Pond Ash) is eco-friendly. It is also the social responsibility of researchers to encourage the beneficial use of industrial by-products in order to preserve resources, conserve energy and reduce or eliminate the need for disposal of industrial waste in landfills.

This study reports the results of experimental studies carried out on the use of Pond ash as Fine Aggregate (FA) in concrete. The properties of Pond Ash were compared to the standard sand. The pond ash added by weight is 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50% and 60% respectively as replacement of FA in concrete. Experiments carried out indicate that Pond ash as partial replacement of sand has beneficial effect on the mechanical properties. The strength properties are determined for various percentages (10–60%) of replacement of Fine Aggregate with Pond ash. The test results indicate that the workability of pond ash concrete can be improved and the strength characteristics are comparable to those of conventional concrete.