Influence of Pretreatment on the Performance of Concrete With Coarse Aggregate From Agricultural Waste: A Review

Influence of Pretreatment on the Performance of Concrete With Coarse Aggregate From Agricultural Waste: A Review | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Systematic Review Influence of Pretreatment on the Performance of Concrete With Coarse Aggregate From Agricultural Waste: A Review Toluwalope Dominion Zubair, Mutiu Abiodun Kareem, Glory Olajide Ponnle, and 2 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8633222/v2 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 2 posted 7 You are reading this latest preprint version Show more versions Abstract By using agricultural by-products, especially palm kernel shells (PKS) and coconut shells (CS), as lightweight coarse aggregates that can reduce structural dead load, improve thermal performance, and divert waste from hazardous disposal pathways, this study addresses the growing need to lessen the environmental burden of conventional aggregates in concrete. The results of numerous experimental studies on PKS- and CS-based concretes and different pretreatment methods are dispersed and lack a cohesive framework that quantitatively connects pretreatment parameters to aggregate characteristics, the behaviour of fresh concrete, and long-term performance, particularly for durability and geopolymer systems. Therefore, this review's goal is to determine how pretreatment affects the physical and chemical properties of PKS and CS as well as how it affects the workability, mechanical strength, and durability-related aspects of concretes that contain these aggregates. To enable a rigorous comparison of treated and untreated aggregates and mixtures, a systematic literature analysis was conducted utilising structured keyword searches in major databases with defined inclusion and exclusion criteria and structured data extraction. According to the review, chemical immersion, surface coatings, heat treatment, and controlled pre-soaking significantly reduce water absorption and porosity, improve the quality of the interfacial transition zone, and increase compressive, split tensile, and flexural strengths (about 6–13 MPa for high PKS replacement and 20–40 MPa for moderate CS replacement), while decreasing sorptivity, water absorption, and permeability when compared to untreated shells. These findings suggest that PKS and CS that have been properly pretreated can be used as sustainable lightweight aggregates in both structural and non-structural concretes. Nevertheless, there is currently no unified framework that quantitatively links particular pretreatment parameters, replacement level, and binder type to aggregate properties and both short- and long-term concrete performance, despite new research on geopolymer systems and multi-factor optimisation of mix design and pretreatment. Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 2 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 24 Apr, 2026 Editor assigned by journal 02 Apr, 2026 Reviews received at journal 18 Mar, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 18 Mar, 2026 Reviewers invited by journal 17 Mar, 2026 Submission checks completed at journal 13 Mar, 2026 First submitted to journal 08 Mar, 2026 You are reading this latest preprint version Show more versions Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8633222","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Systematic Review","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":610840709,"identity":"288e8d44-26d4-11f1-b2c4-06cc9d20a69f","order_by":0,"name":"Toluwalope Dominion 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