Agri-industrial waste in sustainable concrete
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5377/Keywords:
Agricultural waste, concrete, construction materials, sustainable development, pozzolansAbstract
Portland cement manufacturing accounts for between 8% and 10% of global anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions, making the search for supplementary binder materials with a lower environmental impact a priority for sustainable construction. The objective of this study was to analyze, through a systematic literature review, recent evidence on the use of agro-industrial waste ash —rice husks, sugarcane bagasse, corn cobs, olive, oil palm, coffee, wheat, peanut, coconut, and bamboo residues, among others—as partial cement substitutes in sustainable concretes and mortars. The review was conducted following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines and explicit inclusion and exclusion criteria, allowing for the qualitative evaluation of 35 studies published between 2023 and 2025, selected from 312 records identified in academic databases. The results show that agro-industrial ashes obtained through controlled calcination exhibit high pozzolanic activity due to their amorphous silica content, which promotes increased long-term mechanical strength, reduced permeability, water absorption, and chloride penetration, as well as greater durability in aggressive environments, especially with replacement rates of 5% to 20%. Summary tables are also presented on the most studied wastes and the recommended replacement ranges. Overall, the reviewed evidence indicates that agro-industrial waste constitutes a technically and environmentally viable alternative for reducing the carbon footprint of the construction sector and strengthening circular economy strategies.
Downloads
References
Abdalla, T. A., Hussein, A. A., Ahmed, Y. H., & Semmana, O. (2024). Strength, durability, and microstructure properties of concrete containing bagasse ash: A review of 15 years of perspectives, progress and future insights. Results in Engineering, 21, Article 101764. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rineng.2024.101764
Ahmad, J., Arbili, M. M., Alabduljabbar, H., & Deifalla, A. F. (2023). Concrete made with partially substitution corn cob ash: A review. Case Studies in Construction Materials, 18, e02100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cscm.2023.e02100
Akinpelu, M. A., Ajibade, I. A., Salman, A.-S., Adisa, M. A., & Akanbe, A. W. (2025). Sulfate attack on fiber reinforced mortar with cassava peel ash as a partial replacement for cement. Discover Civil Engineering, 2, Article 206. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44290-025-00370-1
Al-Mattarneh, H., Abuaddous, M., Ismail, R., Malkawi, A., Jaradat, Y., Nimer, H., & Khodier, M. (2024). Performance of concrete paving materials incorporating biomass olive oil waste ash and nano-silica. AIMS Materials Science, 11(5), 1035–1055. https://doi.org/10.3934/matersci.2024049
Alyami, M., Hakeem, I. Y., Amin, M., Zeyad, A. M., Tayeh, B. A., & Agwa, I. S. (2023). Effect of agricultural olive, rice husk and sugarcane leaf waste ashes on sustainable ultra-high-performance concrete. Journal of Building Engineering, 72, Article 106689. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2023.106689
Amin, M., Zeyad, A. M., Agwa, I. S., & Heniegal, A. M. (2024). Effect of peanut and sunflower shell ash on properties of sustainable high-strength concrete. Journal of Building Engineering, 89, Article 109208. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2024.109208
Athira, G., Bahurudeen, A., & Appari, S. (2021). Rice-straw ash as a potential supplementary cementitious material: Influence of thermochemical conversion on its properties. Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering, 33, 04021123. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)MT.1943-5533.0003727
Audu, V. E. M., & Mamman, Y. W. (2013). Use of cocoa pod husk ash as admixture in concrete. International Journal of Engineering Research & Technology, 2(11). https://www.ijert.org/use-of-cocoa-pod-husk-ash-as-admixture-in-concrete-2
Awolusi, T. F., James, A. O., Emmanuel, B. O., Abdallah, M., Abu James, G., Kunle, A. E., & Azab, M. (2024). Evaluation of the performance of concrete reinforced with bamboo and incorporating cassava peel ash. The Open Construction & Building Technology Journal, 18, e18748368313178. https://doi.org/10.2174/0118748368313178240819043436
Bastías, B., González, M., Rey-Rey, J., Valerio, G., & Guindos, P. (2024). Sustainable cement paste development using wheat straw ash and silica fume replacement model. Sustainability, 16, Article 11226. https://doi.org/10.3390/su162411226
Bhandary, R. P., Rao, A. U., Shetty, P. P., Blesson, S., & Thomas, B. S. (2023). Application of coffee husk ash as partial replacement of fine aggregate in concrete. Sustainability, 15, Article 13328. https://doi.org/10.3390/su151813328
Bowan, P. A. (2022). Cocoa pod husk ash as partial replacement of cement in concrete production. Communications in Applied Sciences, 10. https://infinitypress.info/index.php/cas/article/view/2049
Busari, A. A., Loto, R. T., Ajayi, S., Oluwajana, S. D., & Eletu, A. (2024). Development of sustainable interlocking concrete paving blocks using bamboo leaf ash and metakaolin. Heliyon, 10(11), e31845. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e31845
da Silva, J. M., Arruda Filho, A. B., Farias, L. do N., Souza, E. H., Souza, F. V. D., Ferreira, C. F., & Lima, P. R. L. (2025). Characterization and application of different types of pineapple leaf fibers (PALF) in cement-based composites. Fibers, 13(5), Article 51. https://doi.org/10.3390/fib13050051
Doğruyol, M., & Çetin, S. Y. (2025). From agricultural waste to green binder: Performance optimization of wheat straw ash in sustainable cement mortars. Sustainability, 17, Article 8960. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17198960
Eid, H. A., Amin, M., & Tahwia, A. M. (2025). Properties of ultra-high-performance concrete incorporating palm oil fuel ash as an eco-filler. Innovative Infrastructure Solutions, 10, Article 411. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41062-025-02214-4
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). (2024, January 1). Rice straw: Transforming a residue into a valuable resource in Punjab, India. https://www.fao.org/energy/news-and-events/news/news-details/Rice-straw-Transforming-a-residue-into-a-valuable-resource-in-Punjab-India-/en
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (2025). FAO champions sustainable bioenergy innovation at IRENA Innovation Week 2025. https://www.fao.org/energy/news-and-events/news/news-details/fao-champions-sustainable-bioenergy-innovation-at-irena-innovation-week-2025/en
Ghazzawi, S., Ghanem, H., Khatib, J., El Zahab, S., & Elkordi, A. (2024). Effect of olive waste ash as a partial replacement of cement on the volume stability of cement paste. Infrastructures, 9, Article 193. https://doi.org/10.3390/infrastructures9110193
Guo, Z., Chen, Z., Yang, X., Zhang, L., Li, C., He, C., & Xu, W. (2025). The influence of rice husk ash incorporation on the properties of cement-based materials. Materials, 18, Article 460. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18020460
Iro, U. I., Alaneme, G. U., Attah, I. C., Ganasen, N., Duru, S. C., & Olaiya, B. C. (2024). Optimization of cassava peel ash concrete using central composite design method. Scientific Reports, 14, Article 7901. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-58555-0
Kabdiyono, E. A., Rahayu, W., Soepandji, B. S., Handika, N., & Wulandari, S. (2025). Effects of bamboo leaf ash on the residual strength of extremely high plasticity soils. Engineering, Technology & Applied Science Research, 15, 22770–22780. https://doi.org/10.48084/etasr.10276
Mahesh, R., G, S. K., M. S., U., J., L., A., V., & Pandit, P. (2025). Sustainable concrete development using groundnut shell ash: A response surface methodology approach. Cleaner Waste Systems, 12, Article 100379. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clwas.2025.100379
Manjunath, B., Ouellet-Plamondon, C. M., Ganesh, A., Das, B. B., & Bhojaraju, C. (2024). Valorization of coffee cherry waste ash as a sustainable construction material. Journal of Building Engineering, 97, Article 110796. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2024.110796
Olaiya, B. C., Lawan, M. M., Olonade, K. A., & Abubakar, S. A. (2025). Banana leaf ash as sustainable alternative raw material for the production of concrete: A review. Discover Materials, 5, Article 100. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43939-025-00296-6
Öztürk, E., Ince, C., Borgianni, Y., Derogar, S., Forster, A. M., & Ball, R. J. (2025). Enhancing concrete durability and resource efficiency through rice husk ash incorporation: A data-driven approach. Sustainability, 17, Article 9382. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17219382
Page, M. J., McKenzie, J. E., Bossuyt, P. M., Boutron, I., Hoffmann, T. C., Mulrow, C. D., Shamseer, L., Tetzlaff, J. M., Akl, E. A., Brennan, S. E., Chou, R., Glanville, J., Grimshaw, J. M., Hróbjartsson, A., Lalu, M. M., Li, T., Loder, E. W., Mayo-Wilson, E., McDonald, S., ... Moher, D. (2021). The PRISMA 2020 statement: An updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. BMJ, 372, n71. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n71
Rasidi, N., & Rochman, T. (2025). Enhancing concrete properties with corncob ash in interlocking wall blocks. Civil Engineering and Architecture, 13, 579–594. https://doi.org/10.13189/cea.2025.130136
Rilwan, U., Abdulazeez, M. A., Maina, I., Olasoji, O. W., El-Taher, A., Alhindawy, I. G., Mahmoud, K. A., Sayyed, M. I., Elsafi, M., Rashad, M., & Maghrbi, Y. (2025). The use of coconut shell ash as partial replacement of cement to improve the thermal properties of concrete and waste management sustainability in Nigeria and Africa, for radiation shielding application. Scientific African, 27, e02578. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sciaf.2025.e02578
Sathiparan, N. (2025). A systematic review of corncob ash in construction: Current findings and future directions. Sustainable Materials and Technologies, 43, e01315. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.susmat.2025.e01315
Schardt, C., Adams, M. B., Owens, T., Keitz, S., & Fontelo, P. (2007). Utilization of the PICO framework to improve searching PubMed for clinical questions. BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making, 7, Article 16. https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6947-7-16
Sell Junior, F. K., Wally, G. B., Magalhães, F. C., de Pires, M. M., Kulakowski, M. P., do Nascimento, C. D., Flores, W. H., & Oropesa Avellaneda, C. A. (2024). Effects of bamboo leaf ashes on concrete compressive strength, water absorption, and chloride penetration. Journal of Building Engineering, 97, Article 110986. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2024.110986
Tom, E., & Jose, Y. S. (2025). Experimental study of cement with ground nut shell ash and cashew nut shell ash with discarded nano nylon powder concrete for sustainable environment. Matéria (Rio de Janeiro), 30, e20240829. https://doi.org/10.1590/1517-7076-rmat-2024-0829
Torres Ortega, R., Luna Velasco, M., & Arrieta Baldovino, J. (2025). Characterization of the pozzolanic potential of oil palm kernel shell ash obtained through optimization of physicochemical processes. Materials, 18, Article 1248. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18061248
Yayena, E., & Hareru, W. K. (2024). Engineering experimental study on mechanical and durability properties of banana leaves ash as partial cement replacement in hollow concrete blocks. Discover Applied Sciences, 6, Article 105. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42452-024-05738-z
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Revista Científica Estelí
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
