Impact of a High Rice Husk Ash Replacement Ratio on Concrete's Strength Performance
Abstract
Cement is the main component of concrete, which is the most widely used construction material worldwide. However, cement production is one of the major sources of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions, causing significant environmental problems. Reducing these emissions, conserving natural resources, and improving the sustainability of concrete structures have motivated researchers to seek alternative cementitious materials. Recently, partial replacement of cement with supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs), particularly agricultural by-products, has gained considerable attention. The use of SCMs not only reduces waste disposal in landfills but also improves the fresh and hardened properties of concrete. Through pozzolanic reactions with cement hydration products, these materials produce calcium silicate hydrate (C–S–H), which enhances concrete strength and durability while reducing production costs. Rice husk ash (RHA) is one such promising material.
This study investigates the chemical composition of RHA, as well as its effects on specific gravity, workability, compressive strength, and splitting tensile strength of blended cement concrete compared to conventional concrete. All mixes were prepared with a water–cement ratio of 0.5. Workability was evaluated using the slump test. Cement was partially replaced with RHA at levels of 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, and 70%. Concrete specimens were tested at curing ages of 7, 28, and 91 days. The results indicate that the optimum cement replacement level is 15% RHA, which achieved a compressive strength of 63.10 MPa at 28 days—approximately 24.12% higher than the control concrete (47.88 MPa). Moreover, even at a high replacement level of 60%, the RHA concrete exhibited a compressive strength of 50.62 MPa at 28 days, representing an increase of 5.41 MPa compared to the control mix. These findings demonstrate that rice husk ash, containing highly reactive particles ranging from amorphous to crystalline forms with appropriate particle size, can significantly enhance concrete strength even at high cement replacement ratios.
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