Effect of Curing Temperature on Mechanical Properties of Cement Mixed with White Rice Husk Ash Paste

Abstract

The objective of this research was to study the effect of curing temperature on the mechanical propertiesof cement paste mixed with White Rice Husk Ash (WRHA) from a brick factory. The tested properties werenormal consistency, setting time, compressive and splitting tensile strengths. The varied water to binder materials(Portland cement type I and WRHA) ratios were 0.45 and 0.50. The replacements of WRHA for cement were20% and 40% by weight of cementitious materials and curing water temperatures were 25, 50 and 75 degreeCelsius. The test results showed that the compressive and splitting tensile strengths of cement paste mixed withWRHA depended on the percentage of WRHA replacement. The paste with 20% of WRHA replacement ofcement had higher strengths than those of paste with 40% of WRHA replacement at every ages of curing and thedevelopment of the compressive strength at early age of cement paste increased when the curing temperatureincreased form 25 to 50 and 75 degree Celsius respectively, whereas for a longer time of curing, the compressivestrength of paste cured at 75 degree Celsius was lower than that of paste cured at 25 degree Celsius.