Behaviour of Concrete Produced with Cement and Rice Husk Ash

Abstract

Disposal of rice husk and its ash has been identified as a major problem in areas where rice production is abundance. Cement is an expensive material which plays a major role in the construction industry. This study shows the utilization of Rice Husk Ash (RHA) in concrete by conducting the laboratory experiments. Replacement of cement with RHA enhances both compressive and tensile properties of concrete. For this study, RHA was obtained from Bio-Energy power plant located in Ampara, Sri Lanka. As received RHA was sieved in order to prepare two types of samples with different particle sizes. Enhanced performances of Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) can be achieved with 10% replacement of OPC by RHA regardless of particle sizes. Moreover, the adverse environmental impacts associated with RHA can also be reduced by utilizing the RHA in cementitious systems.