Strength Evaluation of Corn and Rice Husk Ash as Partial Cement Replacement in Foam Concrete

• Main Authors: Esguerra, Leila Viktoria M., Haduca, Shereen Danielle L., Gaw, Chrisha Anne C., Reboredo, Kate G., De Jesus, Richard M.
• Format: text
• Published: Animo Repository 2024
• Subjects: foam concrete; rice husk ash; corn husk ash; reinforced concrete; partial cement replacement
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/conf_shsrescon/2024/paper_see/10; https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/context/conf_shsrescon/article/2414/viewcontent/PP_SEE_Esguerra_Gaw_Haduca_Reboredo_De_Jesus___Leila_Viktoria_Esguerra.docx.pdf
• Institution: De La Salle University

The construction industry is acknowledged as a crucial catalyst for the development of all countries. However, it also significantly contributes to waste generation, environmental pollution, and global carbon emissions (Menegaki and Damigos, 2018; Zhang & Wang, 2023). As the use of fibers as a partial reinforcement in concrete is considered to enhance the ductility, tensile strength, compressive strength, and durability of the concrete mixture, the purpose of this study is to analyze the effects of using Corn Husk Ash (CHA) and Rice Husk Ash (RHA) as partial cement replacement in foam concrete (FC), examining the compressive and tensile strength, water absorption ability, and density of concrete. Three groups of concrete samples were used for this study: control FC (FC0), FC with 5% CHA (C5) replacement, and FC with 10% RHA (R10) replacement. The results from the tests show that C5 had the highest average compressive strength (26.55 MPa), FC0 had the highest average tensile strength (10.56 MPa) and ideal water absorption rate of 2.95%, while R10 had an average density of 1937.01 kg/m3 nearest to the target. Overall, CHA improved the compressive strength of pure foam concrete, and RHA has the ideal density. However, this study showed that foam concrete with CHA and RHA replacement did not enhance the tensile strength of foam concrete, indicating that foam concrete has the best tensile strength performance.