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<p>The increasing generation of agro-industrial and metallurgical wastes has created significant environmental challenges, necessitating sustainable reuse strategies. This study evaluates the feasibility of utilizing rice husk ash (RHA) and steel slag as partial replacements for cement and fine aggregate, respectively, in M40-grade concrete paver blocks. RHA was incorporated at replacement levels of 0–20%, while steel slag was used at 0–40% in accordance with IS 10262:2019. The produced paver blocks were tested following IS 15658:2021 to assess compressive strength, abrasion resistance, and durability characteristics. In addition, microstructural investigations were carried out using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The experimental results indicate that the incorporation of 10% RHA and 40% steel slag produced the best overall performance, achieving approximately 18–22% higher compressive strength than the conventional mix and improved resistance to surface wear. XRD analysis confirmed the presence of hydration and slag-related mineral phases that contributed to enhanced pozzolanic activity, while SEM observations revealed a denser matrix with reduced pore structure. A cradle-to-gate lifecycle assessment (LCA) was conducted considering raw material production, transportation, and manufacturing stages. The optimized mix demonstrated an estimated reduction of 20–28% in carbon emissions and 15–22% in embodied energy compared with conventional concrete paver blocks due to lower cement consumption and effective utilization of industrial byproducts. The findings demonstrate that the combined use of RHA and steel slag can improve the mechanical and microstructural performance of paver blocks while reducing their environmental impact, thereby providing a sustainable alternative for pavement construction applications.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>

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Lifecycle Analysis of Paver Block Made with Rice Husk Ash and Steel Slag

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年7月11日

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  • Sarvesh Pratap Singh Rajput

摘要

The increasing generation of agro-industrial and metallurgical wastes has created significant environmental challenges, necessitating sustainable reuse strategies. This study evaluates the feasibility of utilizing rice husk ash (RHA) and steel slag as partial replacements for cement and fine aggregate, respectively, in M40-grade concrete paver blocks. RHA was incorporated at replacement levels of 0–20%, while steel slag was used at 0–40% in accordance with IS 10262:2019. The produced paver blocks were tested following IS 15658:2021 to assess compressive strength, abrasion resistance, and durability characteristics. In addition, microstructural investigations were carried out using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The experimental results indicate that the incorporation of 10% RHA and 40% steel slag produced the best overall performance, achieving approximately 18–22% higher compressive strength than the conventional mix and improved resistance to surface wear. XRD analysis confirmed the presence of hydration and slag-related mineral phases that contributed to enhanced pozzolanic activity, while SEM observations revealed a denser matrix with reduced pore structure. A cradle-to-gate lifecycle assessment (LCA) was conducted considering raw material production, transportation, and manufacturing stages. The optimized mix demonstrated an estimated reduction of 20–28% in carbon emissions and 15–22% in embodied energy compared with conventional concrete paver blocks due to lower cement consumption and effective utilization of industrial byproducts. The findings demonstrate that the combined use of RHA and steel slag can improve the mechanical and microstructural performance of paver blocks while reducing their environmental impact, thereby providing a sustainable alternative for pavement construction applications.

Graphical Abstract