Mechanical properties of mortars modified with wood waste ash

摘要

In this paper, a comparative study of the mechanical behavior of mortars with cement replacement by wood waste ash (WWA) of 0, 0.5, 1 and 3% by weight was performed. Physical and chemical properties such as density, dynamic modulus of elasticity and compressive strength were evaluated after 7, 30 and 90 days of curing. WWA and cement were analyzed by means of X-ray diffraction and X-ray fluorescence. After failure, the composites were characterized using scanning electron microscopy. The results of the study demonstrate that mortars modified with 0.5% of WWA comply with the Colombian construction requirements, being slightly better in compressive strength and with lower density compared to mortars without modification. The use of WWA as replacement of cement results in weight savings of 4.5, 9 and 27 kg for 0.5, 1 and 3% of WWA, respectively. The mortars are suitable to be used on cement composites due to their adequate physicochemical properties and their positive effect from the sustainability standpoint.