SUPPLEMENTARY CEMENTING MATERIALS

Supplementary cementing materials (SCMs) contribute to the properties of hardened concrete

through hydraulic or pozzolanic activity. Typical examples are fly ashes, slag cement (ground,
granulated blast-furnace slag), and silica fume. These can be used individually with portland or
blended cement or in different combinations. Supplementary cementing materials are often added
to concrete to make concrete mixtures more economical, reduce permeability, increase strength,
or influence other concrete properties.

Fly ash,

It is the most commonly used pozzolan in concrete, is

a by-product of thermal power generating stations.
Commercially available fly ash is a finely divided
residue that results from the combustion of pulverized
coal and is carried from the combustion chamber of
the furnace by exhaust gases.

Slag Cement

Slag Cement formerly referred to as ground,

granulated blast-furnace slag, is a glassy, granular
material formed when molten, iron blast-furnace slag
is rapidly chilled - typically by water sprays or
immersion in water - and subsequently ground to
cement fineness. Slag cement is hydraulic and can be
added to cement as an SCM.
Silica fume

Silica fume, also called condensed silica fume or

microsilica, is a finely divided residue resulting from
the production of elemental silicon or ferro-silicon
alloys that is carried from the furnace by the exhaust
gases. Silica fume, with or without fly ash or slag, is
often used to make high-strength concrete.

RICE HUSK EFFECTS ON CONCRETE

Rice-husk ash (RHA) is a very fine pozzolanic

material. The utilization of rice husk ash as a
pozzolanic material in cement and concrete
provides several advantages, such as improved
strength and durability properties, reduced
materials costs due to cement savings, and
environmental benefits related to the disposal of
waste materials and to reduced carbon dioxide
emissions. Reactivity of RHA is attributed to its
high content of amorphous silica, and to its very
large surface area governed by the porous structure of the particles Generally, reactivity is favored
also by increasing fineness of the pozzolanic material. However, Mehta (1979) has argued that
grinding of RHA to a high degree of fineness should be avoided, since it derives its pozzolanic
activity mainly from the internal surface area of the particles. Della et al. (2002) reported that a
95% silica powder could be produced after heat-treatment at 700◦C for 6 hours. And specific
surface area of particles was increased after wet milling from 54 to 81 m2/g.

• RHA is a very fine material. The average particle size of rice-husk ash ranges from 5 to 10
μm.
• Rice husk ash is very rich in silica content. Silica content in RHA is generally more than
80–85%. Chemical composition of RHA as reported by few authors is given in Table 7.2.
For RHA to be used as pozzolan in cement and concrete, it should satisfy requirements for
chemical composition of pozzolans as per ASTM C618. The combined proportion of
silicon dioxide (SiO2), aluminium oxide (A12O3) and iron oxide (Fe2O3) in the ash should
be not be less than 70%, and LOI should not exceed 12% as stipulated in ASTM
requirement.