Properties of fresh and hardened self-compacting concrete incorporating rice husk ash: A review

Abstract

Abstract Rice husk is considered as a waste product of farming. However, rice husk ash (RHA) has a good pozzolanic activity, which can be used in cement-based materials as a supplementary cementitious material (SCM), and it is also suitable for self-compacting concrete (SCC). This study reviews the physical and chemical properties of RHA and the properties of RHA–SCC mixtures such as fresh properties (crucial factors and evaluation methods of workability for fresh SCC), mechanical properties (compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, flexural strength, and modulus of elasticity), and durability (water absorption and sorptivity, acid resistance, chloride penetration resistance, electrical resistivity, and alkali silica reaction). It was observed that the workability of SCC decreases with an increase in the incorporation rate of RHA. An incorporation rate of RHA in the range of approximately 15–20% enhances the mechanical properties and durability of SCC. The incorporation of RHA into SCC can reduce the environmental burden of rice husk treatment, and promote sustainable development of cement industries and reduce the cost of SCC.