Effect of Rice Husk Ash on Compressive Strength of Concrete

Abstract

Over the past decades concrete technology has entered the broad areas of research to enhance the properties and performance of concrete. Moreover there is the introduction of the new types of concrete such as selfcompacting concrete (SCC), high strength concrete (HSC) or ultra-high strength concrete (UHSC). Now these types of concrete are being widely used in the world and they require the high cement binder. So high cement content means high loss to environment as in the manufacturing of one tonne of cement, about 1 tonne of CO2 is emitted. So it is necessary to reduce usage of cement by introducing new supplementary cementitious materials which are the byproducts of industries to reduce debris. Rice Husk Ash is one of these. The potential of rice husk ash as a cement replacement or addition material is well established. A review of literature urges the need for optimizing the replacement level or additionof RHA in concrete for improved compressive strength at optimum water binder ratio. This paper discusses the improved compressive strength of RHAHigh strength concrete at optimized conditions.