Strength and durability properties of concrete using incinerated biomedical waste ash

Abstract

Biomedical waste is a collection of medical waste from diverse sources that pose a major risk to human, plant, or animal life now or in the future. It cannot be processed or discarded off without proper processing. Biomedical waste is often burnt in incineration plants, yielding Incinerated Biomedical Waste Ash (IBMW) which is disposed off in landfills, which are not completely leak-proof. The impact of IBMW ash as cement replacement on the strength and permeability properties of concrete is discussed in this research. For comparison, a control concrete mix is created, as well as five concrete mixes with varying percentages of IBMW (2.5, 5.0, 7.5, 10 and 12.5%). Lime reactivity test suggests marginal pozzolanic activity of IBMW. The experimental study results suggest that including 7.5% IBMW as a partial cement replacement improves the compressive strength by 20%; improves the split tensile strength by 17% and flexural strength by 14% compared to control mix in 28 days. Compressive, split tensile and flexural strength tests is performed up to 90 days of age, and water absorption, sorptivity, and leachate analyses is performed up to 28 days of age. The Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) test was also carried out and is discussed.