Mechanical Properties of Concrete Incorporating High Volume Palm Oil Fuel Ash

The use of pozzolanic materials in the production of concrete for structural purposes is increasing, and this trend is expected to continue, due to technological advancement and the desire for basic structural infrastructure. This paper describes a study undertaken to examine the use of high volume palm oil fuel ash (HVPOFA) as a cement replacement material in concrete, beyond the optimized level of 30%. For this purpose, concrete mixes with 100% ordinary Portland cement (OPC) as control were made, while high volume palm oil fuel ash concrete mixtures were prepared by substituting 50, 60 and 70% of cement by ash at 0.45 water-binder ratio. Mechanical properties of concrete such as compressive, splitting tensile and flexural strength of HVPOFA concrete were studied and compared with that with 100% OPC. The results indicate that palm oil fuel ash of up to 70% by mass can be combined with Portland cement to produce normal strength concrete.