From Waste to Strength: Hybrid Binder Approach for Sustainable M25 Concrete

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Year : 2026 | Volume : 16 | 01 | Page :
    By

    Tanushree Dalai,

  • Bitishree Patel,

  • Madhusmita Biswal,

  1. Assistant Professor, Gandhi Institute of Excellent Technocrats, Ghangapatna, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, india
  2. Assistant Professor, Maryland Institute of Technology & Management, Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, India
  3. Faculty, Nilachal Polytechnic, Bhubaneswar, odhisha, India

Abstract

The growing demand for concrete in infrastructure development has led to increased cement
consumption, raising serious environmental concerns due to high energy use and carbon dioxide
emissions correlated with cement manufacturing. In this context, the use of industrial residues as partial
substitutions for cement has achieved deep focus as a sustainable construction strategy. The current
investigations experimentally explore the strength and quality performance of concrete produced using
a hybrid binder system incorporating silica fume and fly ash cenospheres. In this investigation, silica
fume was used as a constant partial replacement of cement at 12%, while fly ash cenospheres were
introduced at varying replacement levels of 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%. Concrete mixes were
prepared using a fixed mix proportion, and standard specimens were cast to evaluate compressive and
split tensile strength at 7 and 28 days of curing. In addition to destructive testing, non-destructive
evaluation was carried out using the rebound hammer and ultrasonic pulse velocity test to assess
surface hardness and internal quality of the concrete. The experimental results indicated that the
incorporation of cenospheres up to an optimum level significantly enhanced the structural behavior of
concrete. The mix containing 10% cenosphere replacement exhibited the highest strength values in all
mechanical tests, which was attributed to improved particle packing and the synergistic pozzolanic
action of silica fume. Beyond this level, a gradual reduction in strength was observed due to decreased
cementitious content and increased porosity. The non-destructive test results showed good correlation
with compressive strength, confirming improved surface hardness and internal uniformity of the
optimized mixes. Overall, the study demonstrates that the integrated use of SF and FACs can produce
structurally efficient and environmentally sustainable concrete, while reducing dependence on
conventional cement.

Keywords: Fly ash cenospheres, hybrid binder system, mechanical properties, non-destructive testing, partial cement replacement, silica fume, sustainable concrete.

How to cite this article:
Tanushree Dalai, Bitishree Patel, Madhusmita Biswal. From Waste to Strength: Hybrid Binder Approach for Sustainable M25 Concrete. Journal of Construction Engineering, Technology & Management. 2026; 16(01):-.
How to cite this URL:
Tanushree Dalai, Bitishree Patel, Madhusmita Biswal. From Waste to Strength: Hybrid Binder Approach for Sustainable M25 Concrete. Journal of Construction Engineering, Technology & Management. 2026; 16(01):-. Available from: https://journals.stmjournals.com/jocetm/article=2026/view=239747


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Ahead of Print Subscription Original Research
Volume 16
01
Received 28/01/2026
Accepted 30/01/2026
Published 04/02/2026
Publication Time 7 Days
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