Incorporation of Combined Rice Husk and Straw Waste in Concrete Production

The rice industry is one of the largest globally and it is one of the most grown crops worldwide, thus producing a significantly large amount of rice waste including straw and husk. The strategy of many countries to get rid of such waste is burning which causes adverse environmental effects as it increases emissions of greenhouse gases and causes severe health issues. This study aims at finding various forms of using rice waste in an adequate way to produce quality concrete without a large carbon footprint. Rice waste has been used in the form of rice husk ash, rice husk and rice straw fibres, both individually and combined. The rice straw fibres was added to mix as a percentage by weight of cement and the both the raw rice husk and rice husk ash were utilized as a cement replacement. Testing involved fresh, hardened, thermal testing as well as EDX analysis. Results revealed a good potential for the use of rice waste into concrete and an ability to minimize cracking. Conclusions and recommendations are provided for safe handling and minimization of negative environmental effects in producing concrete.