Graduate Research and Discovery Symposium (GRADS)

Document Type

Poster

Publication Date

4-1-2019

Abstract

We are thriving to reduce the emissions of carbon-di-oxide (CO2) from the cement manufacturing industries by partially replacing the cement with biomass waste specially Rice Husk Ash (RHA), thereby producing high energy saving materials and making the construction industry sustainable whilst also providing high strength concretes. Of all the industries around the world, cement manufacturing industries contribute to about 10% of the emissions of CO2, and this 10% is estimated to be about 40,000 million tons of CO2 every year. On the other hand, about 991 to 1147 million tons of Biomass waste (2015) was produced in the USA alone which end up being dumped in as landfills. So, we had planned to use the biomass waste and partially replace cement (with about 10 to 20%) and make studies on it. Preliminary studies were conducted on the biomass waste as a partial replacement and proved to improve the strength of the mixture by 130% of its control. It cleared many permeability tests and met the requirements of the ASTM standards. It exceeded the performance with the mixtures where cement mixtures were alone used and tested. Characterizations were made using XRF, PSD, Calorimetric Analysis, TGA, LOI, SEM and TEM analysis. Physical properties such as Consistency, setting time, Strength Activity Index, Flow characteristics were studied. Durability tests like drying shrinkage, ASR, RCPT, sulphate attack, water absorption and water sportively were conducted. Future studies will be made to employ this RHA in HPC and UPHC systems which seems to be a great potential for its use.

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