Mechanical Properties of Concrete Canal Lining Containing Rice Husk Ash in Sulfate Environments

Rice husk, an agricultural waste, is produced about 100 million tons annually in the world and 0.5 million tons in Iran. Due to growing environmental concerns about disposal of these wastes, efforts are required to apply the wastes in industry. In this research, the mechanical properties of concrete incorporating rice husk ash (RHA) in sulfate environments (such as irrigation canals) were investigated and the increase in concrete strength was compared with control samples. In order to burn the husks at a controlled temperature to obtain a highly reactive pozzolanic RHA, a furnace was designed and built. The experiments included 405 samples of cubical (707070-mm) and cylindrical (50.8101.6-mm) concrete samples (105 samples for A, B and C treatments, respectively) which were stored in different ages (7, 28, 60, 180 days) under three different conditions (solutions of magnesium, calcium and sodium sulfates). The portions of RHA as cement replacement were 20 and 30 percents for B and C treatments. The results showed that the samples of concrete containing 20 percent RHA as cement replacement had higher compressive and tensile strengths in sulfate environments at 180 days compared with those of control concretes. The concrete samples containing RHA showed sharper gradients compared to control samples of up to 180 days under sulfate conditions. The best portion of RHA in concrete was determined to be 20 percent by weight.