Investigation of the effects of biomass power plant fly ash on concrete properties

The amount of fly ash generated by power plants has been increasing daily in parallel with industrial development. The rise in waste production has led to numerous environmental and economic problems. In response to these issues, the concept of waste management has emerged. According to this approach, waste must be managed in a manner that prevents negative impacts on the environment and human health throughout its lifecycle, from generation to disposal. The waste management process can be achieved through various methods, including waste prevention, reduction, reuse, and recycling. Therefore, this study investigates the usability of biomass power plant ashes in concrete production. In this research, ashes obtained from different regions (Karataş biomass ash, Aydın biomass ash, and paper fly ash) from biomass power plants and a paper factory were used. Additionally, limestone from the Çukurova region was utilized as aggregate. Several mechanical and physical properties of the concrete were examined. Industrial wastes were incorporated into the concrete mixtures at replacement ratios of 0%, 10%, 20%, and 30% by weight of cement. Biomass ashes and ashes obtained from the paper industry were compared in terms of their chemical composition, physical properties, and effects on concrete. Concrete properties such as compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, ultrasonic pulse velocity, capillary water absorption, consistency test, and dry unit weight were analyzed. Furthermore, the mineralogical characteristics of the concrete samples were evaluated using XRD and SEM analyses. Keywords: Biomass power plant ashes, Concrete, Mineral Additive, Aggregate