Harvest residues ash as a pozzolanic additive for engineering applications: A review and the catalogue

Biomass ashes originating from wood and harvest residues combustion may be considered as one of the prospective environmentally friendly candidates for supplementary cementitious materials (SCM) production. In the region of Vojvodina province, biomass waste is becoming increasingly important as ''green'' fuel, thus allowing the reduction of the environmental impact of waste disposal, lowering the expensive fossil fuels application and its subsequent greenhouse gasses emission. In the light of the above, the present paper surveys the experimental studies of harvest residues ash (HRA) as a pozzolanic additive for engineering applications. Thus far conducted research on the HRA possible application in cementitious systems, worldwide and in the studied region, has been summarized and the benefits of such approaches outlined. Finally, locally available types of wheat straw, soya straw, sunflower husk, silo waste, oil rapeseed - based ashes were collected, characterized both physically and chemically, evaluated and presented through catalogue. The reactivity results, depending on the amorphous silica content and the achieved level of fineness, are very promising in terms of the potential reuse of these ashes in cementing systems.