Enhancing Concrete Durability and Resource Efficiency Through Rice Husk Ash Incorporation: A Data-Driven Approach

Ece Öztürk (), Ceren Ince, Yuri Borgianni (), Shahram Derogar, Alan M. Forster and Richard James Ball
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Ece Öztürk: Faculty of Engineering, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Via Bruno Buozzi, 1, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
Ceren Ince: Institute for Sustainable Built Environment, School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, UK
Yuri Borgianni: Faculty of Engineering, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Via Bruno Buozzi, 1, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
Shahram Derogar: AVOVE Utilities, 183 St. Vincent St., Glasgow G2 5QD, UK
Alan M. Forster: Institute for Sustainable Built Environment, School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, UK
Richard James Ball: Centre for Integrated Materials, Processes & Structures (IMPS), Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY, UK

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 21, 1-31

Abstract: Cement production is responsible for approximately 8% of global carbon dioxide emissions, creating an urgent need for sustainable material alternatives. This study investigates the incorporation of rice husk ash as a partial replacement for cement and sand in concrete to enhance durability and reduce environmental impact. A database-driven approach was applied, analyzing over 1000 data points from the literature published between 1996 and 2020. The analysis focused on correlations among key durability indicators, including chloride resistance, acid resistance, electrical resistivity, and porosity. Based on these relationships, optimal rice husk ash replacement levels were identified as 30% for cement and 20% for sand. Findings show that rice husk ash incorporation significantly improves durability and can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by up to 40%, particularly when combined with pozzolans such as fly ash and metakaolin. The study highlights that analyzing correlated durability factors is crucial for refining optimal replacement levels. This research provides a data-driven pathway for incorporating rice husk ash as an agricultural waste product into concrete and supports circular economy and resource conservation efforts. These contributions ultimately help attain the UN Sustainable Development Goals and wider sustainability targets.

Keywords: rice husk ash; concrete durability; data-driven approach; resource efficiency; low carbon cementitious materials (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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