Synergistic effect of recycling waste coconut shell ash, metakaolin, and calcined clay as supplementary cementitious material on hardened properties and embodied carbon of high strength concrete

Abstract

Researchers are investigating eco-friendly binders like coconut shell ash (CSA), metakaolin (MK), and calcined clay (CC) as supplementary cementitious materials (SCM) in high-strength concrete (HSC). Abundantly available as industrial or agricultural waste, these materials, when combined with Portland cement (PC), offer synergistic benefits. This not only improves concrete performance but also addresses waste disposal issues, presenting a sustainable and environmentally friendly solution for long-term use in HSC production. However, this study performed on fresh and mechanical characteristics of HSC blended with CSA, MK, and CCA alone and together as SCM after 28 days of curing. A total of 504 samples of standard concrete were cast and the cubical samples were tested to achieve the targeted compressive strength about 80 MPa after 28 days. The experimental results indicated that the rise in tensile, flexural and compressive strengths of 9.62%, 8.27%, and 10.71% at 9% of CSA, MK, and CC as SCM after 28 days of curing. As SCM content increases, the density, porosity and water absorption of concrete decrease. Moreover, the workability of fresh concrete is getting reduced when the concentration of SCMs increases in HSC. In addition, the concrete’s sustainability assessment revealed that employing 18% MK, CC, and CSA as SCM reduced carbon emissions by approximately 11.78%. It is suggested that using 9% CC, MK and CSA together in HSC yields the best results for practical applications in civil engineering.