Evaluation of Thermal properties of Cassava peel ash-incorporated Concrete

Abstract

The usage of concrete in the infrastructure development sector is expanding leading in a commensurate increase in demand and consumption of the ingredients. Researchers have investigated the mechanical properties of concrete modified with Cassava peel ash (CPA) as a pozzolan and recommended a 5-15% replacement. There is currently a research gap concerning the effect of this inclusion on the thermal properties of the resulting concrete since understanding the heat conductivity of concrete and other construction materials is crucial for assessing their overall quality. This investigation involves evaluating the thermal characteristics of concrete admixed with cassava peel ash (CPA) at different replacement levels: 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, and 30%. Cassava peels were collected and burnt in a furnace at 750°C. Sixty (60) Concrete samples measuring 100 x 100 x 100mm, were produced using a 1:1:2 mix ratio, water-cement ratio of 0.55 and then cured in water for 28 days. The thermal characteristics were measured using the guarded hot plate method (steadystate approach) at temperatures of 100°C and 300°C, respectively. The results indicated that, for cement replacement levels of 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 30%, the samples' thermal conductivity at 100°C is 48.21, 45.75, 44.16, 41.51, 34.60, and 28.75 (W/m °C), whereas at 300°C, it is 15.61, 10.43, 9.66, 9.76, 8.81, and 8.41 (W/m °C). Based on these findings, the study recommends that CPA replacement be limited to 15% to retain useful thermal properties of the concrete samples.