Study on the pozzolanic activity of finely ground bottom ash for cement replacement

Abstract

This study experimentally investigated the properties of bottom ash in cement specimens. The performances of hardened cement test specimens, prepared with unground or finely ground bottom ash, fly ash, or ordinary Portland cement, were compared. The fineness of bottom ash increased with grinding time. Testing in mortar mixes revealed that the compressive strengths of both wet and dry finely ground bottom ash increased with increasing fineness. The microstructural density of bottom ash increased and the porosity decreased as the grinding fineness increased. Finely ground bottom ash showed strong pozzolanic activity, demonstrating its applicability as a cement replacement.