PSI - Issue 70

Available online at www.sciencedirect.com

ScienceDirect

Procedia Structural Integrity 70 (2025) 207–214

Structural Integrity and Interactions of Materials in Civil Engineering Structures (SIIMCES-2025) Influence of Rice Husk Ash on the durability of geopolymer concrete under different molarities C. Manoj Prabhu a , B. Selvam b , C. Vinodhini c , L. M. Nirmal d , R. Elavarasan d , Kavitha E e, * a Department of Agricultural Engineering,Excel Engineering College, Komarapalayam-637303, India. b Department of Civil Engineering, RVS Technical Campus - Coimbatore – 641402, India. Abstract Geopolymer concrete (GPC) is a novel material in the building sector, characterized by various chemical compositions and reactions that improve its binding properties. Pozzolanic materials, including fly ash (FA), ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS), and rice husk ash (RHA), are industrial wastes rich in silica and alumina, serving as binding agents in the mixture. This study investigates the durability properties of M40-grade GPC, utilizing RHA as a partial replacement for FA in various quantities (0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, and 25%) The experimental program further investigates the impact of two distinct molarities (10M and 12M) of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution utilized as the alkaline activator. The durability performance of GPC was evaluated through water absorption, sorptivity, acid resistance, sulphate resistance, and rapid chloride penetration (RCPT) tests. The findings suggested substituting FA with RHA up to 20% enhanced durability by optimizing the pore structure and diminishing porosity. The 12M NaOH solution exhibited better durability than the 10M solution, indicating less water absorption and improved resistance to chemical attacks. c Department of Civil Engineering, KPR institute of Engineering and Technology, Arasur, Coimbatore, India. d Department of Civil Engineering, Knowledge Institute of Technology, Kakapalayam, Salem- 637504, India. e Department of Civil Engineering, Sengunthar Engineering College,Kumaramangalam Tiruchengode 637205, India

© 2025 The Authors. Published by ELSEVIER B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0) Peer-review under the responsibility of International Conference on Structural Integrity Organizers

Keywords: Rice Husk Ash (RHA); Pozzolanic Materials; Alkaline Activator; Geopolymer Concrete (GPC) ; Sulphate Resistance.

* Corresponding author : Tel.: +91 9865768948 Email: kavi13suga@gmail.com.

2452-3216 © 2025 The Authors. Published by ELSEVIER B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0) Peer-review under the responsibility of International Conference on Structural Integrity Organizers 10.1016/j.prostr.2025.07.045