Philippine E-Journals

Molasses as Retarding Admixture for Concrete in Road Construction

Leigh Dee S Galvez | Joselle A Gorro | Honiedel V Taotao | Jilljun D Trinidad

 

Abstract:

Industrial pollution continued to be a major factor causing the degradation of the environment around us. It affects the water we use, the air we breathe and the soil we live on. Also, it is reported that Shree Renuka Sugars LTD in India which is one of the largest sugar producers in the world discharged fluids into the Belgaum fields. The farmers claimed that it damaged their crops. They also claimed that the ground water about two kilometers around the sugar factory had also been contaminated. Molasses on the other hand is a viscous by-product of sugar industry, which used sugarcane in the production. The growing problem in pollution due to those waste prompted the researchers to look for the possibility that the so called waste product can be used as a retarding admixture for concrete. This study sought to answer the following questions; what are the flexural strength of concrete with molasses and stuccotard 80 on the fourteenth day and thirty-fifth day? What are the initial and final setting time of the cement paste with molasses and stuccotard 80? The researchers investigated the usage molasses as a retarding admixture for concrete by comparing it to the conventional retarder specifically stuccotard 80. The same ratio of the retarders was used which is 300ml of retarder is to 100kg of cement, concrete mixture used in this study and both followed a ratio of 1:2:4 for cement, sand, and gravel respectively. Five samples each were produced and were cured for fourteen days and thirty-five days. Based on the results of the study, it can be concluded molasses can be a retarding admixture; which could delay the initial and final setting time of concrete and at the same time it could increase the flexural strength of concrete.