EffectofRiceHuskAshonCementMortarandConcrete

SudishtMishra,FacultyCivilEngineer.DepttNERIST,Itanagar,Prof(Dr.)S.V.Deodhar,Principal,SSVPS
BSDCollegeofEngineering,Dhule.
Introduction

Workability, strength, and durability are three basics properties of

concrete. Amount of useful internal work necessary to overcome the
internal friction to produce full compaction is termed as Workability.
Size, shape, surface texture and grading of aggregates, watercement
ratio, use of admixtures and mix proportion are important factors
affecting workability. Strength is to bear the desired stresses within
the permissible factor of safety in expected exposure condition. The
factor influencing the strength are: quality of cement, watercement
ratio, grading of aggregates, degree of compaction, efficiency of
curing, curing temperature, age at the time of testing, impact and
fatigue. Durability is sustenance of shape, size and strength resistance to exposure conditions,
disintegrationandwearingunderadverseconditions.Variationinconcreteproduction,loadingconditionsin
service life and subsequent attack by the environment factors are main deteriorating factor of concrete.
ProperlycompactedandcuredconcreteusedinRCCcontinuestobesubstantiallywatertightanddurabletill
capillaryporesandmicrocracksintheinteriorareinterconnectedtoformpathwaysuptosurface.
Durability is mainly influenced by environmental exposure condition, freezing thawing, contact to
aggressivechemicals,typeandqualityofconstituentmaterials,watercementratio,workability,shapeand
size of the member, degree of compaction, efficiency of curing, effectiveness of cover concrete, porosity
and permeability. During service life of structures, penetration of water and aggressive chemicals,
carbonation, chloride ingress, leaching, sulphate attack, alkalisilica reaction and freezingthawing are
resultingdeterioration.Loadingandweatheringinterlinkvoidsandmicrocrackspresentintransitionzone
and network of same micro cracks gets connected to cracks on concrete surface which provides primary
mechanismofthefluidtransporttointeriorofconcrete.Subsequentincreaseofpenetrabilityleadstoeasy
ingress of water, oxygen, carbon dioxide and acidic ions etc into concrete resulting cracking, spalling, loss
atmass,strengthandstiffness.
Low permeability is key to durability and it is controlled by factors like watercement ratio, degree of
hydration, curing, entrapped air voids, micro cracks due to loading and cyclic exposure to thermal
variations.Admixtureimprovesworkability,compactibility,strength,impermeability,resistancetochemical
attack, corrosion of reinforcement and freezing thawing etc. and in turn to durability. For this study
durability is interpreted in terms of porosity, moisture movement, surface strength, ultra sound pulse
velocity and elasticity modulus of concrete. Optimum use of Rice Husk Ash (RHA), obtained by open field
burningmethod,isdecidedforimprovingworkability,strengthanddurabilityofconcrete.
RiceHuskAsh

RHA,producedafterburningofRicehusks(RH)hashighreactivityandpozzolanicproperty.IndianStandard
code of practice for plain and reinforced concrete, IS 456 2000, recommends use of RHA in concrete but
does not specify quantities. Chemical compositions of RHA are affected due to burning process and
temperature. Silica content in the ash increases with higher the burning temperature. As per study by
Houston,D.F.(1972)RHAproducedbyburningricehuskbetween600and700Ctemperaturesfor2hours,
contains9095%SiO2,13%K2Oand<5%unburntcarbon.Undercontrolledburningconditioninindustrial
furnace,conductedbyMehta,P.K.(1992),RHAcontainssilicainamorphousandhighlycellularform,with
501000 m2/g surface area. So use of RHA with cement improves workability and stability, reduces heat
evolution,thermalcrackingandplasticshrinkage.Thisincreasesstrengthdevelopment,impermeabilityand
durability by strengthening transition zone, modifying the porestructure, blocking the large voids in the

hydrated cement paste through pozzolanic reaction. RHA minimizes alkaliaggregate reaction, reduces
expansion, refines pore structure and hinders diffusion of alkali ions to the surface of aggregate by micro
porousstructure.
Portlandcementcontains60to65%CaOand,uponhydration,aconsiderableportionoflimeisreleasedas
free Ca(OH)2, which is primarily responsible for the poor performance of Portland cement concretes in
acidic environments. Silica present in the RHA combines with the calcium hydroxide and results excellent
resistance of the material to acidic environments. RHA replacing 10% Portland cement resists chloride
penetration,improvescapillarysuctionandacceleratedchloridediffusivity.
Pozzolanic reaction of RHA consumes Ca(OH)2 present in a hydrated Portland cement paste, reduces
susceptible to acid attack and improves resistance to chloride penetration. This reduces large pores and
porosity resulting very low permeability. The pozzolanic and cementitious reaction associated with RHA
reduces the free lime present in the cement paste, decreases the permeability of the system, improves
overall resistance to CO2 attack and enhances resistance to corrosion of steel in concrete. Highly micro
porous structure RHA mixed concrete provides escape paths for the freezing water inside the concrete,
relievinginternalstresses,reducingmicrocrackingandimprovingfreezethawresistance.
NonDestructiveTests(NDT)

NDT,systemsrequiredforassessingstrengthinservicefeature,isdefinedasatestwhichdoesnotimpair
theintendedperformanceoftheelementormemberunderinvestigation,carriedoutonsite,withabilityto
determinethestrengthanddurabilityofcriticalconstructionswithoutdamaging.
For conducting ND Tests, Rebound hammer, Protimetermoisture measurement system, Porositester and
pulseUltrasonicNonDestructiveIndicatingTester(PUNDIT)equipmentareused.
Rebound hammer test is conducted to asses the relative strength of concrete based on the hardness at or
near its exposed surface. Concrete Rebound Test Hammer is a traditional instrument used for the non
destructive testing of hardened concrete. This provides a quick and simple test method for obtaining an
immediate indication of concrete strength in various parts of a structure. Knob of this instrument is kept
perpendiculartothesurface(i.e.90degreetothesurface)formeasurementandispushpressedfromthe
bottomtowardsthesurfaceoftheconcrete,hammerlikesoundisproduced.Thebuttonnearthebottomof
theinstrumentispressedtolocktheindicatorandreadingistaken.
The surface moisture is generally not seen for cleaning and restoring the structure after damage from
storms, floods or fires. For exposed or unseen structural damage, the undetected moisture damages
strength,durabilityandreliability.TheProtimeterMoistureMeasurementSystemisapowerfulandversatile
instrument for measuring and diagnosing surface moisture in buildings. This instrument directly displays
moisture content (%) along with three conditions of material like DRY, WET and RISK condition. For using
Protimeter operational modes are selected and information is presented on a large, back lit liquid crystal
display.Theradiofrequencysensorispositionedsothatlargenumberofmoisturereadingsistakenquickly
andeasily.
Porositester contains of 3 glass tube used to measure the water penetration in concrete at atmospheric
pressure. Tubes are fixed with vacuum plate and vacuum pump without any subsequent cleaning. Rubber
seal inserted in the tube provides a defined contact surface of dia 25 mm vertical or horizontal.
Compressiblesealsonsuctionplateandtubepermitsecurefixingalsotounevensurfaces.Currentsupplyis
providedfroma12Vrechargeablebattery.Vacuumplateispressedagainstthefaadewithawetsponge,
motorisplacedonadhesionoftheplateischecked.Testtubesareplacedundertheclipandsecuredfirmly
withscrews.Testtubesarefilledwithwateruptothezeromarkandagainrefilledafterthedescentofthe
water level by 1 or 2 ml and readings of quantity of penetrated water are noted down for 15 minute test
time. As per the manual of equipment, water absorption coefficient A is calculated by using following
formula:

Where,
X=Amount(level)ofwaterpenetratedinml.
d=Dia.oftesttubeinmm.
t=Timeofpenetrationinminutes.
Figure 1 shows the Porositester mentioned above Pundit is a highly trustworthy
equipment for ultrasonic pulse velocity teshon concrete. Pundit plus is used to
determine pulse velocity, (UPV) modulus of elasticity, cavities and cracks present in
the concrete. Equipment is ruggedly built for onsite reliability for simple, speedy
operation with integral RS232 interface, auto memory store for readings, large LCD
display with external or battery power supply. The setup parameters are defined for
thepreferredmodeofoperationandrespectivevaluesaredisplayed.
Workplan

Objective of this work is to study the effects of Rice Husk Ash as an admixture on
workability,strength,durabilityofcementconcreteandcementmortar.Basedonthe
above, optimum dose of RHA is determined to enhance the desired properties of
concretewithoutcausinganyadverseresultonotherproperties.
Rice Husk from local Rice Mills was burnt completely in open field condition and
Figure1:Porositester
sieved with 150 micron IS sieve. Rice Husk Ash percentage was gradual increased
from 7.5%, 10.0%, 12.5%, 15.0% and 17.5%. M20 grade nominal mix concrete (1 : 1.5 : 3) and cement
mortarofproportion(1:4).Coarseaggregateof20mmgradednominalsize,riversandzoneIIItypeand
53 grades Pozzolana Portland Cement (PPC) were used for this work. For slump values 15 mm to 35 mm
and compaction factor 0.85 to 0.90, water cement ratio for plain and RHA mixed concrete was 0.50 and
0.575 respectively. For casting concrete and mortar cubes, 150 mm steel cube moulds and 70.7 mm steel
cube moulds were used. Each set Contained Six samples of plain concrete and six of RHA mixed. After 24
hoursofcasting,sampleswereopenedandkeptundertapwatercuringfor 28 days. Later destructive and
nondestructive tests were carried out on set of three separate cubes and average values taken for this
study.
TestResults
CompressiveStrength

Compressive strength for RHA mixed concrete samples increased upto 12.5% of RHA and decreased for
higher % of RHA. Highest strength was found 30.3 N/mm2 followed by 30.07 N/mm2 for RHA composition
10.00% and 12.5% respectively. In comparison to normal M20 mix samples, compressive strength
decreased by 12.94% and 19.17% for 15.00% and 17.5% of RHA mixed concrete samples. Between RHA
compositions 10% and 12.5%, compressive strength increased very marginally (0.80%) whereas same
valuewashighest(3.08%)betweenRHAcompositions7.50%and10.00%.
Compressive strength of normal mortar cubes was 10.39 N/mm2 and same increased to 16.43 N/mm2 and
17.44 N/mm2 for RHA composition 7.5% and 10.00% respectively. For higher proportion of RHA, 12.50%,
15.00% and 17.50%, compressive strength decreased to 12.74 N/mm2, 10.73 N/mm2 and 7.71 N/mm2
respectively. Maximum increase in strength was 67.85% followed by 58.13% for 10.00% and 7.50% RHA
compositionrespectively.

ReboundHammerTest

Surface strength of M20 grade concrete cube was 20.05 N/mm2. For RHA mixed samples, same values
increased to a maximum of 28.00 N/mm2 and minimum 23.00 N/mm2 (Table1) for 10% and 17.5 % rice
husk respectively. For RHA mixed mortar samples, surface strength increased marginally from 16.67
N/mm2to17.33N/mm2(3.96%)whichfurthershowedadecreasedvalueof16.67N/mm2formortarcubes
with 17.5% RHA. For concrete samples, strength increased upto 10% RHA and later it started decreasing
but for the mortar samples same trend continued upto 15% RHA. Interpreted from the graph that the
strength is increased rapidly from 7.5% to 15% and it starts decreasing with increase in percentage of
admixture.ThereferencemortarcubeishavingstrengthofN/mm2.

SurfaceMoistureTestResults

Surface moisture for concrete cubes was 17.31% which increased to 17.97% for 7.5% RHA content. For
higher%ofRHA,itshowedadecreasedtrendwithminimumvalue17.2%for17.5%RHA.ForRHAmixed
mortar cubes, maximum value was 17.32% with 10% RHA which further decreased to 15.89% for 17.5%
RHA.

Figure2(a):VariationofNDTPropertiesofMortarCubes

PulseVelocityTest

Pulse velocity was observed 3258 m/sec. in normal concrete cubes which increased to maximum 3736
m/sec. in 15.00% RHA mixed cubes. Increase in pulse velocity was 6.78%, 10.25%, 12.68%,14.67% and
13.51%forcorrespondingRHA7.5%,10%,12.5%,15%,and17.5%respectively.
Elastic modulus increased from 3.83 GN/m2 to a maximum 5.97 GN/m2 (55.87%) for 12.5% RHA mixed
samples.

Figure2(b):VariationinCompressiveStrength,ReboundHammer
StrengthandSurfaceMoisture

Porosity

For nominal mix M20 grade concrete cubes, water absorption coefficient was found 1.19 Kg/m2 / min. In
RHA mixed concrete samples, water absorption coefficients exhibited decreasing trend to a minimum of
1.34 (29.84%) for 12.5% of RHA but the same increased with higher percentage of RHA. For maximum
proportionofRHA(17.5%)itwasfound1.63Kg/m2/min,15.18%higherthantheminimumvalue.

Figure2(c):VariationinCompressiveStrength,ReboundHammer
StrengthandSurfaceMoisture

Conclusion

InnominalmixM20gradeconcreteand1:4cementmortarRHAwasaddedasanadmixturefrom7.50%to
17.50% with an uniform variation of 2.5%. During destructive test, compressive strength of mortar cubes
andreboundhammerstrengthofconcretesamplesfoundincreasedwithmaximumvariationof67.85%and
39.65%for10%RHA.Maximumvariationsofelasticmoduluswere55.87%followedby27.94%for12.50%
and10%RHAmixedsamples.Compressivestrengthofconcretesamplesshowedmaximumincrease3.08%
betweenRHA7.50%to10.00%whichdecreasedfurtherforhigherpercentageofRHA.
Reductioninwaterabsorption,fromresultsobtainedfrom6testsconcreteand3testsonmortarsamples,
itisobservedthatupto10%RHAwithconcreteandmortarenhancesallproperties(Figures2atoc)andit
isobservedthat12.5%ofRiceHuskAshbymassofcementastheoptimumdosestobeaddedinconcrete
productionofM20particularlywhenthehuskisburntunderfieldconditiontoutilizetheeasilyavailableand
low cost resources for betterment of concrete structure with respect to economy, durability and strength.
So best applicable percentage of rice husk ash as per field condition 10.00% for optimal strength and
durability.
References

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E. B. Oyetola and M. Abdullahi, The Use of Rice Husk Ash in LowCost Sandcrete Block Production,
Department of Civil Engineering, Federal University of Technology, P.M.B. 65, Minna, Nigeria, June
2006.
NBMCWOctober2010