Improvement of physical and chemical properties of concrete with brazilian silica rice husk (SRH)

Abstract

The use of industrial and agricultural waste substitutions for Portland cement has greatly contributed to sustainable development practices. The increase in cement demand will be met by the use of supplementary cementing materials, in order to minimize the clinker consumption. In this study, the effects of silica extracted from rice husk (SRH) as a partial replacement of cement in concretes with low water/binder are reported. The properties investigated include compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, water absorption by immersion, water absorption by capillarity and resistance to chloride ion penetration. The research indicates that SRH is an effective mineral addition for designing durable concrete presenting an optimal performance when the replacement ratio of Portland cement is around 10%.