An experimental analysis on bagasse ash based concrete incorporated bacillus subtilis bacteria.

Concrete is very sensitive in its fresh condition. Cracks are nearly unavoidable even after taking every precaution from the selection of material to the casting of concrete. Cracks are termite for concrete. hence it is necessary to provide such agents in the concrete which can increase its autogenous healing ability. In this paper, bacillus subtilis bacteria and sugarcane bagasse ash have been used in concrete to study their effects on its strength and water absorption property. The experiment is done in two steps. In the first step, sugarcane bagasse-ash is used in cement concrete as partial replacement with cement by 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% to find out optimum replacement value of bagasse ash for which we get maximum compressive strength of the concrete and we found it at 10 % replacement. Then in the second step, solution of bacillus subtilis bacteria having concentration 105 cells/ml is used with bagasse ash partially replaced with cement by 10% in the casting of concrete. It was found that the compressive strength further increases by 20.57% with the addition of bacteria in bagasse-ash based concrete. Water absorption capacity was found to be reduced up to 20.10%. Hence the crux is that the use of bacillus subtilis bacteria at the concentration 105 cells/ml and sugarcane bagasse ash with 10% replacement with OPC improves the mechanical properties and impermeability by reducing the water absorption capacity of concrete. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]