CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1    Preamble
    Concrete is the most commonly used construction material in the world. It is basically composed of two components: paste and aggregates. The paste which acts as binder contains cement, water and occasionally admixtures; the aggregate contains sand and gravel or crushed stone (Naik and Moriconi, 2003). The aggregate are relatively inert filler materials which occupy 70% to 80% of concrete and can therefore be expected to have influence on its properties( Mindess and Young, 2003).The infrastructural needs of developing countries have lead to huge increase in demand for Portland cement. According to BAU scenario, cement consumption will grow at high rate on world level in the year  2000-2030 ,the 1600 Metric tones of cement consumption in 2000 will increase almost two folds to 2880 Metric tons by 2030, implying an annual 2% grow rate (Nurdeen and Shahid, 2010).
    Cement is one of the constituents of concrete and of very high technical benefits, but expensive and environmentally unfriendly material. (Naik  and Moriconi, 2006). Therefore, requirements for economical and more environmental friendly cementing material have extended interest in other cementing materials that can be used as supplement  for Ordinary Portland cement. Ground granulated furnace slag, fly ash etc have been used successfully for this purpose, Ordinary Portland Cement is frequently used as a major construction material in the country and the world at large. It is considered as a durable material of construction. However, the environmental issue is on the increasing side, as Portland cement is responsible for about 5%-8% global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions due to it high demand (Jayminkumar and Raijiwala,2015). Researchers all over the worlds are searching out on ways of utilizing either industrial or agricultural waste as a source of raw material for industries. This waste utilization will not only aid the economy but will also bring about foreign exchange earnings and environmental pollution control.    
Sugarcane is an agricultural product from which Bagasse Ash is obtained after squeezing out the sugary water in the sugarcane and subjecting it to heat by incinerating the residue through control burning to form ash. (Patcharin et al., 2009) . Bagasse is the fibrous residue leftover when sugarcane is squeezed for its juice (Osinubi and Stephen, 2005). The Sugarcane Bagasse creates environmental nuisance due to poor disposal which in turn forms garbage heaps (Oyejobi and Lawal, 2014). According to (Barroso and Bareras, 2000) one ton of sugarcane can generate 280kg of  Bagasse waste. In the Northern part of  Nigeria there is high production of sugarcane due to the soil and weather condition which favorably supports the farming of sugarcane and consequently there is abundant generation of Sugarcane Bagasse/residue waste which cause economic as well as environmental related issue. To solving these issues, enormous effort  have been  towards the Bagasse ash waste management. But there are yet no adequate research about the usefulness of sugarcane residue in the country, very little value is being attached to Bagasse. The residue has been found to be used for primary fuel source and also, for paper production. However, incinerating it to ash and adopting it as a good pozzolan adds to its economic value. The advancement in technology and desire for safer environment has stimulated the sense of economic reuse and proper management of material earlier discarded as waste. According to( Oriola and Moses, 2010), industrial activities often lead to depletion of natural resources, a process that may result in the accumulation of by-product and/or waste material. It is need of time to rise to the use of cement replacement materials in the concrete which can reduce the significant amount of cement consumption due to the hazardous effect of CO2 to the environment. The incinerating of organic waste of sugarcane i.e. Bagasse Ash contains pozzolanic material, Therefore, it is highly recommended to conduct research on Bagasse and their impact on concrete behavior, and also be adopted has a suitable replacement of cement in concrete
1.2     Statement of Problem
    The production of cement is one of the most environmental unfriendly processes due to the emission of carbondioxide gas (CO2) to the  atmosphere. Portland cement is responsible for about 5%-8% global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions constituting environmental problem or impact which may likely be on the increased due to exponential demand of Portland cement (Jayminkumar and Raijiwala, 2015).
    In addition to its negative environmental impact, cement is also one of the most expensive materials when compared to the other constituents of concrete. The problem of high cost of cement is also a major concern of the construction industry (Anum and Williams, 2003).   
    The Sugarcane Bagasse creates environmental nuisance due to poor disposal which in turn form garbage heaps, if left to rot, will breakdown and release greenhouse gases, particularly methane, which is 27 times more dangerous to the Ozone than carbon-dioxide.(Australia Clean Energy Council)