Coconut Shell Ash as Partial Substitute to Cement in Concrete Hollow Blocks

Abstract

Abstract Due to heightened demand for construction materials and environmental crisis, this study presents an alternative to cement using upcycled agricultural waste to help the construction industry and address environmental issues. The study focuses on substituting cement in concrete hollow blocks with coconut shell ash at 0, 10, 20, and 30 percent replacement. Four-inch width specimens are fabricated after slump test and underwent compressive strength and water absorption tests at 7, 14, and 28 curing periods. These are some of the insights of the study: (a) slump height of CHB with 30% substitution is the lowest at 4 mm, (b) the 10% CSA performed well among CHB with CSA gaining 3.7454 MPa, and (c) CSA decreased the water absorption to up to 4.6% at 20% replacement and moisture content to a value of 18.22% at 30% substitution after 28 days curing.