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Title Biochar Produced from Saudi Agriculture Waste as a Cement Additive for Improved Mechanical and Durability Properties-SWOT Analysis and Techno-Economic Assessment
ID_Doc 12947
Authors Khan, K; Aziz, MA; Zubair, M; Amin, MN
Title Biochar Produced from Saudi Agriculture Waste as a Cement Additive for Improved Mechanical and Durability Properties-SWOT Analysis and Techno-Economic Assessment
Year 2022
Published Materials, 15.0, 15
DOI 10.3390/ma15155345
Abstract The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia generates an enormous amount of date palm waste, causing severe environmental concerns. Green and strong concrete is increasingly demanded due to low carbon footprints and better performance. In this research work, biochar derived from locally available agriculture waste (date palm fronds) was used as an additive to produce high-strength and durable concrete. Mechanical properties such as compressive and flexural strength were evaluated at 7, 14, and 28 days for control and all other mixes containing biochar. In addition, the durability properties of the concrete samples for the mixes were investigated by performing electric resistivity and ultra-sonic pulse velocity testing. Finally, a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis was carried out to make strategic decisions about biochar's use in concrete. The results demonstrated that the compressive strength of concrete increased to 28-29% with the addition of 0.75-1.5 wt% of biochar. Biochar-concrete containing 0.75 wt% of biochar showed 16% higher flexural strength than the control specimen. The high ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) values (>7.79 km/s) and low electrical resistivity (<22.4 k omega-cm) of biochar-based concrete confirm that the addition of biochar resulted in high-quality concrete free from internal flaws, cracks, and better structural integrity. SWOT analysis indicated that biochar-based concrete possessed improved performance than ordinary concrete, is suitable for extreme environments, and has opportunities for circular economy and applications in various construction designs. However, cost and technical shortcomings in biochar production and biochar-concrete mix design are still challenging.
Author Keywords green concrete; biochar; compressive strength; durability properties; SWOT; techno-economic analysis
Index Keywords Index Keywords
Document Type Other
Open Access Open Access
Source Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED)
EID WOS:000840162500001
WoS Category Chemistry, Physical; Materials Science, Multidisciplinary; Metallurgy & Metallurgical Engineering; Physics, Applied; Physics, Condensed Matter
Research Area Chemistry; Materials Science; Metallurgy & Metallurgical Engineering; Physics
PDF https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/15/15/5345/pdf?version=1659524227
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