Effect of Rice Husk on the Mechanical Properties of Cement-Based Mortar

This paper presents an experimental study on effect of rice husk on the mechanical properties of cement-based mortar. Cement-based mortar enhanced with rice husk between 0 and 2% by weight was cured and tested on 7, 14, 21 and 28 days for their properties. The 0.5% rice husk specimens achieved 24% and 6% increase in tensile and compressive strengths, respectively, over the control. SEM analysis revealed a good bond between the rice husk and the matrix. The study concludes that the inclusion of rice husk positively affects the mechanical properties of the cement-based mortar. 0.5% rice husk is recommended to construction practitioners as an enhancement of cement-based mortar for construction application. © 2020, The Institution of Engineers (India).