• Arum, Chinwuba
• Oni, Oluwaseun

Abstract

<jats:p>Growing awareness about the influence of buildings on the environment hasresulted in a need for more ecologically friendly buildings made ofinexpensive but longlasting construction materials. Experimental findings onthe workability and strength qualities of concrete produced by partialsubstitution of sand with lateritic soil at various percentage replacementlevels of cement with Rice Husk Ash (RHA) up to 15% are presented herein.The chemical analysis of RHA and lateritic soil, as well as the consistencyand setting times of OPC and OPC/RHA pastes were conducted. They were allfound to be within the limits specified by appropriate standards. Slumpvalues for all concrete mixtures reduced with increase in the replacementlevel of cement with rice husk ash (RHA), with and without the inclusion ofsuperplasticizer. However, for mixtures without superplasticizer, up till10% replacement of cement with RHA, slump increased with increase in sandreplacement with laterite up to 20% and started fluctuating for lateritelevels beyond 20%. For mixes with superplasticizer, slump rose for lateritelevels up to 10% and fluctuation set in thereafter. The results alsorevealed that at all ages and for all investigated levels of sandreplacement with laterite, the compressive strength of concrete attained itshighest value at 95% OPC with 5% RHA. Furthermore, this highest value of thecompressive strength is substantially the same with that of the 0%RHA with0%laterite reference concrete. The findings of this research will be ofbenefit to concrete professionals interested in the inclusion of lateriteand RHA to achieve greenness, sustainability, and cost-effectiveness inconcrete.</jats:p>

Topics

• impedance spectroscopy
• inclusion
• strength
• cement