Mechanical Properties of Self-Compacting Concrete Incorporating Rice Husk Ash as a Partial Replacement of Cement

Cement is widely known to be most expensive constituents of concrete. Therefore, the rising cost of construction materials like cement in developing countries has necessitated research into the use of alternative materials for civil engineering and building constructions. The alternative construction materials like agro-wastes etc., are used to replace cement in concrete production. In this paper, Rice Husk Ash (RHA) was used as a partial replacement of cement in Self-Compacting Concrete (SCC) to determine the influence of the RHA on the compressive and flexural strengths of the tested specimens. The percentage replacements were 0%, 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% of the RHA in the corresponding concrete mixes. Concrete cubes and prisms were cast, cured and their mechanical properties (compressive and flexural strengths) were evaluated at 7, 14, 21 and 28 days. The results show that remarkable strengths values of compressive and flexural strengths were manifested, when compared with the control specimens. In conclusion, it was established that 5% cement replacement of the RHA was found to be a favourable value from among the percentage replacements considered. Moreover, the study demonstrated the use of agro-waste which enhanced the reduction of cement usage and will pave a sustainable way of innovative construction.