Attenuating The Stiffening Effect Of Untreated Sugarcane Bagasse Ash In Cement Pastes With Glass Powder

Abstract

The partial replacement of Portland cement with supplementary cementitious materials is an effective strategy to reduce the environmental impact of clinker production. Among potential supplementary materials, untreated sugarcane bagasse ash (UtSCBA) and glass powder (GP) are candidates, because both materials satisfied pozzolanic activity requirements without compromising performance through compressive strength validation. Although their effects on fresh-state properties differ markedly. In this study, the rheological behavior of cement pastes with UtSCBA and GP, and their combinations were evaluated. Flow curves were measured and fitted with the Herschel–Bulkley model to determine yield stress and differential viscosity, while mini-slump tests were performed to assess empirical fluidity. The results showed that UtSCBA induced pronounced increases in both yield stress and differential viscosity relative to the plasticized reference paste, driven by its high effective volumetric fraction, rougher surface, ellipsoidal and porous morphology. In contrast, GP exhibits a comparatively moderate rheological influence due to better particle characteristics such as smaller particle size and rounder morphology, that results in better packing. In ternary mixtures, GP partially attenuates the stiffening effect induced by UtSCBA, particularly when its volumetric fraction exceeds that of the ash, permitting measurable and workable rheological regimes even at high replacement levels. Correlation analysis confirmed a strong inverse relationship between rheological parameters and relative flow area, and ANOVA tests (p < 0.05) identified statistically distinct rheological groups. The results confirm that combining GP and UtSCBA enables the design of cementitious pastes with balanced flowability, cohesiveness, and workability at elevated replacement levels.

Department(s)

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering

Comments

Secretaría de Investigación y Posgrado, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Grant SIP-20250711

Keywords and Phrases

Differential viscosity; Glass powder; Rheological properties; Untreated sugarcane bagasse ash; Yield stress

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

0950-0618

Document Type

Article - Journal

Document Version

Citation

File Type

text

Language(s)

English

Rights

© 2026 Elsevier, All rights reserved.

Publication Date

26 Sep 2026

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