Exploring the potential of agricultural waste as an additive in ultra-high-performance concrete for sustainable construction: A comprehensive review

Abstract

This study thoroughly reviews the recent design methods for ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) with agricultural waste. The goal is to identify UHPC composites that meets environmental sustainability requirements while fulfilling workability, durability, and mechanical properties. The capacity of typical review studies is limited in bridging the various literature aspects systematically. The article includes comparative analyses identifying these methods’ intrinsic connections and current trends. The analysis indicates that 71% of documents on incorporating agricultural waste into UHPC are in the “Engineering” and “Materials Science” disciplines, with 69% being journal articles, and 27% conference documents. Significant research keywords involve “Ultra-High-Performance Concrete,” “Cements,” “Sustainable Development,” and “Agricultural Wastes,” highlighting the extensive exploration of agricultural waste in UHPC. It has been discovered that agricultural waste can replace silica fume in UHPC, improving strength and durability by reducing pore volume and enhancing microstructure. Substituting 5–30% of cement with rice husk ash significantly boosts compressive strength, enhancing cement hydration, pore structure, and pozzolanic reaction, offering substantial environmental benefits and supporting the construction industry’s contribution to low-carbon sustainable development. This article provides guidance and recommendations for developing sustainable UHPC to meet diverse design specifications, promoting environmentally friendly construction practices.