PSI - Issue 70

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ScienceDirect

Procedia Structural Integrity 70 (2025) 287–294

Structural Integrity and Interactions of Materials in Civil Engineering Structures (SIIMCES-2025) Performance of Rice Husk Ash and Groundnut Shell Ash in Sustainable Concrete

S. Rajeshkumar a , Nirmal L. M. a , Kavitha E. b, *, P. Eswaramoorthi c , Arulkesavan S. a , S. Senthil kumar a

a Department of Civil Engineering , Knowledge Institute of Technology, Kakapalayam, Salem- 637504, India. b Department of Civil Engineering, Sengunthar Engineering College,Kumaramangalam Tiruchengode 637205, India c Department of Civil Engineering, Builders Engineering College, Nathakadiyur, Kangeyam, Tirupur-638108,India.

Abstract This study investigates the effect of using agricultural waste materials, specifically rice husk ash (RHA) and groundnut shell ash (GSA) as substitutes for cement in M30 grade concrete. The project seeks to tackle environmental issues related to traditional cement manufacturing and the disposal of agricultural waste by integrating GSA and RHA as sustainable and environmentally suitable substitutes. Different mixes were developed by replacing 25% of the cement by weight with different amounts of RHA and GSA. The mix containing 15% RHA and 10% GSA (R15G10) achieved the peak compressive strength value of 43.23 MPa at 56 days while showing increased tensile and flexural strengths. The modified concrete mixes absorbed less water and showed decreased sorptivity values than the reference mix due to their improved moisture protection capabilities. The blended mixes exhibited decreased strength degradation together with reduced mass loss, when exposed to sulphate conditions. The research demonstrates that RHA in combination with GSA strengthens concrete while improving its durability over time, which makes it a suitable material for sustainable construction applications. © 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); Groundnut shell ash (GSA); Modified concrete; Sorptivity; Stregnth degradation

* 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.2025.07.055