An Experimental Study Using Recycled Aggregates to Partially Replace Cement with Rice Husk and Sugarcane Bagasse Ash

Rice husk comprises 20% of the 500 million tons of global paddy production. India, a leading global producer of sugarcane, generates 300 million tons annually. Rice husk ash (RHA) and bagasse ash (BA) serve as pozzolanic ingredients in the formulation of blended cements. There is scant information regarding the permeability and corrosion resistance properties of RHA mixed concrete. Limited research has been conducted on the application of ash as pozzolanic material ingredient with cement pastes no comprehensive study has been undertaken about the strength and durability characteristics of bagasse ash blended concrete. The aim of this study is to assess RHA and BA as extra cementitious materials concerning strength and permeability qualities in blended cement concrete, and to determine the appropriate replacement amount of OPC with RHA or BA. Residues of rice husk and bagasse from boiler operations were gathered from the mills. The mill’s burned leftovers were incinerated at 6500 °C for one hour and subsequently pulverized prior to their utilization as cement replacement materials. Blended cements were made by substituting Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) with proportions ranging from 5% to 35% by weight of cement in a dry state. The initial and final setting times assessed with 30% RHA and 20% BA were within the acceptable limits. Compressive strength and RHA inclusion raised the splitting tensile strength by up to 30% and BA content up to 20% substitution level compared to OPC concrete.