ENGINEERING PROPERTIES OF CLAY-RICE HUSK ASH COMPOSITES

Ogah Sylvester Obam and Amos. Y. Iorliam

Department of Civil Engineering

University of Agriculture, Makurdi

Email: ogahobam@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT

Sun-dried bricks (adobe) are out dated to many people. However, statistics show that one fifth of the world’s population uses this material to build houses. The cost of better, alternative building materials are high. Therefore, there is need to improve the quality of sun-dried bricks.  Laboratory experimental procedures are used to determine the specific gravity of the clay, plasticity Index, strength, shrinkage, cracks, and weight of natural clay mixed with Rice Husk Ash (RHA). Results showed that the average specific gravity of the clay is 2.65; shrinkage, plasticity, and cracking of the clay were improved in the composites. However, the compressive strength of clay was not improved by the addition of RHA.

Key words: Clay, Rice Husk Ash, Composites, Shrinkage, Plasticity Index


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