Characterization of bagasse ash and its sustainable use in concrete as a supplementary binder – A review

[Display omitted] •Use of sugarcane bagasse ash (SCBA) as binder and filler in concrete was reviewed.•Material properties of and effects of pre-processing on SCBA were synopsized.•Properties of SCBA concrete were reviewed and compared with normal concrete.•Leaching and carbon footprint of SCBA concrete compared with standards.•Analysis of the knowledge gap enlightening the future research work reported. Large volumes of bagasse wastes are generated in sugar industries on yearly basis. This bagasse being a waste material rather than being dumped in open is blazed while heating boilers for electricity generation which happens mostly in an uncontrolled manner. Then the ash generated gets deposited in landfills and open areas, which imparts deleterious effects on our environment. The residual ash obtained by the process of burning sugarcane bagasse is known as sugarcane bagasse ash (SCBA). SCBA has garnered the interest of researchers as a supplementary cementitious material (SCM) as well as a supplementary filler material (SFM) for use in the construction industry. This paper summarizes the various pre-processing approaches and methodologies undertaken for property enhancement of SCBA along with their after-effects in line with the testing undertaken and subsequent results to ascertain the effectiveness of SCBA in the construction industry. Summarization covered in the present paper can be categorized to have three broad aspects i.e. effects on fresh properties like workability through slump test, flow table test and j-ring test etc.; effects on hardened properties through compressive strength test, splitting tensile strength test and flexural strength test etc. as well as effects on durability through transport test, chloride resistivity test and carbonation test etc., to understand the qualitative nature of the SCBA. Above mentioned various tests procedures, as well as their results as reported by researchers, have been covered, analyzed, critically reviewed and presented. This study reveals that processed SCBA possesses enhanced characteristics compared to its unprocessed counterpart with an optimum replacement of 20% and hence is very effective as a supplementary binder and filler material.