Estimation of concrete compressive strength by substitution of pinyon pine ash for cement

Nowadays, one of the most popular ways to get a more sustainable cement industry is using additions as cement replacement. However, there are many civil engineering applications in which the use of sustainable cements is not extended yet, such as special foundations, and particularly micro piles, even though the standards do not restrict the cement type to use. These elements are frequently exposed to the sulphates present in soils. The purpose of this research is to study the effects of using pinyon pine ash as a substitution for ordinary Portland cement and reduce its content in the concrete mix design. For this reason, 20 % of pinyon pine ash with respect to cement weight was used and the compressive strength of concrete is obtained from testing cubic and standard cylinder specimens. Considering the results obtained, using pinyon pine ash increase the compressive strength of concrete. On the other hand, more axial micro cracks were occurred in pinyon included specimens and their colour were darker comparing to representative specimens without pinyon pine ash. This study shows that using pinyon pine ash could be an effective and Eco-friendly alternative for ordinary Portland cement in industry and construction and could reduce the dangerous effects of using cement in concrete.