Towards Sustainable Ultra-High-Performance Concrete: Role of Nano Rice Husk Ash and Nano Sugarcane Bagasse Ash
Keywords:
UHPC, Nano rice husk ash, Nano sugarcane bagasse ash, Mechanical properties, Durability, SorptivityAbstract
Ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) has gained considerable attention owing to its superior mechanical properties and durability; however, its performance can be further enhanced by incorporating nanoscale supplementary cementitious materials. This study investigates the effects of nano rice husk ash (NRHA) and nano sugarcane bagasse ash (NSCBA) on the mechanical and durability performance of ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) incorporating end-hooked steel fibers. Both nanomaterials were produced through controlled calcination at 700 °C for 3 h, followed by ball milling to achieve nano-sized particles, ensuring high pozzolanic reactivity and effective dispersion. UHPC mixtures were prepared with varying nano contents, and a comprehensive experimental program was conducted to evaluate the compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, flexural strength, and sorptivity at different curing ages.
The results demonstrated that the incorporation of NRHA and NSCBA significantly enhanced the mechanical performance of UHPC at both early and later ages. At 7 and 28 d, the compressive, splitting tensile, and flexural strengths showed notable improvements compared to those of the control mixture, with optimum nano contents yielding the highest strength gains. In particular, mixtures containing an intermediate dosage of NRHA exhibited the highest enhancements in tensile and flexural performance, indicating improved crack-bridging efficiency and fiber–matrix interaction. Durability assessment based on sorptivity measurements at 28 days revealed a substantial reduction in capillary water absorption for nano-modified UHPC, with NRHA-based mixtures showing the greatest improvement owing to pronounced pore refinement and matrix densification. Overall, the findings confirm that the use of agricultural waste-derived nanomaterials can effectively improve both the mechanical and durability properties of UHPC. Among the investigated mixtures, NRHA at the optimum dosage demonstrated superior overall performance, highlighting its potential as a sustainable and high efficiency nanoadditive for advanced UHPC applications.
Downloads
References
[1] S.A. Mostafa, I.N. Fathy, A.A. Mahmoud, M.A. Abouelnour, K. Mahmoud, S.M. Shaaban, S.A. Elhameed, I.M.J.A.o.N.E. Nabil, Optimization of UHPC with basil plant ash: Impacts on strength, durability, and gamma-ray attenuation, 226 (2026) 111825.
[2] M.A. Bajaber, I.Y. Hakeem, UHPC evolution, development, and utilization in construction: a review, Journal of Materials Research and Technology 10 (2021) 1058-1074.
[3] G. Liao, Y. Xu, D. Wang, L.J.M. Wu, Influence of Steel Fiber Content on the Long-Term Stability of Slag-Containing UHPC Under Different Environments, 18(5) (2025) 1068.
[4] X. Wang, D. Wu, Q. Geng, D. Hou, M. Wang, L. Li, P. Wang, D. Chen, Z. Sun, Characterization of sustainable ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) including expanded perlite, Construction and Building Materials 303 (2021).
[5] D. Xu, J. Tang, X. Hu, Y. Zhou, C. Yu, F. Han, J.J.C. Liu, B. Materials, Influence of silica fume and thermal curing on long-term hydration, microstructure and compressive strength of ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC), 395 (2023) 132370.
[6] H. Huang, X. Gao, Y. Li, A. Su, SPH simulation and experimental investigation of fiber orientation in UHPC beams with different placements, Construction and Building Materials 233 (2020) 117372.
[7] M.S.M. Norhasri, M.S. Hamidah, A.M. Fadzil, Inclusion of nano metaclayed as additive in ultra high performance concrete (UHPC), Construction and Building Materials 201 (2019) 590-598.
[8] Z. Yu, L. Wu, Z. Yuan, C. Zhang, T. Bangi, Mechanical properties, durability and application of ultra-high-performance concrete containing coarse aggregate (UHPC-CA): A review, Construction and Building Materials 334 (2022).
[9] S. Ahmad, K.O. Mohaisen, S.K. Adekunle, S.U. Al-Dulaijan, M. Maslehuddin, Influence of admixing natural pozzolan as partial replacement of cement and microsilica in UHPC mixtures, Construction and Building Materials 198 (2019) 437-444.
[10] M. Ozawa, S. Subedi Parajuli, Y. Uchida, B. Zhou, Preventive effects of polypropylene and jute fibers on spalling of UHPC at high temperatures in combination with waste porous ceramic fine aggregate as an internal curing material, Construction and Building Materials 206 (2019) 219-225.
[11] Y. Lin, J. Yan, Z. Wang, F. Fan, C. Zou, Effect of silica fumes on fluidity of UHPC: Experiments, influence mechanism and evaluation methods, Construction and Building Materials 210 (2019) 451-460.
[12] B. Ribeiro, T. Uchiyama, J. Tomiyama, T. Yamamoto, Y. Yamashiki, Development of Interlocking Concrete Blocks with Added Sugarcane Residues, Fibers 8(10) (2020) 61.
[13] S.A. Mostafa, M.M. El-Deeb, A.A. Farghali, A.S. Faried, Evaluation of the nano silica and nano waste materials on the corrosion protection of high strength steel embedded in ultra-high performance concrete, Sci Rep 11(1) (2021) 2617.
[14] I. Asadi, P. Shafigh, M. Hashemi, A.R. Akhiani, M. Maghfouri, B. Sajadi, N. Mahyuddin, M. Esfandiari, H. Rezaei Talebi, H.S.C. Metselaar, Thermophysical properties of sustainable cement mortar containing oil palm boiler clinker (OPBC) as a fine aggregate, Construction and Building Materials 268 (2021).
[15] S.N. Minnu, A. Bahurudeen, G. Athira, Comparison of sugarcane bagasse ash with fly ash and slag: An approach towards industrial acceptance of sugar industry waste in cleaner production of cement, Journal of Cleaner Production 285 (2021) 124836.
[16] R.K. Sandhu, R. Siddique, Influence of rice husk ash (RHA) on the properties of self-compacting concrete: A review, Construction and Building Materials 153 (2017) 751-764.
[17] M.A. Mosaberpanah, O. Eren, A.R. Tarassoly, The effect of nano-silica and waste glass powder on mechanical, rheological, and shrinkage properties of UHPC using response surface methodology, Journal of Materials Research and Technology 8(1) (2019) 804-811.
[18] M.F. Md Jaafar, H. Mohd Saman, N.F. Ariffin, K. Muthusamy, S. Wan Ahmad, N. Ismail, Corrosion monitoring on steel reinforced nano metaclayed-UHPC towards strain modulation using fiber Bragg grating sensor, IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering 431 (2018) 122006.
[19] G.M. Kamil, Q.Q. Liang, M.N.S. Hadi, Numerical analysis of axially loaded rectangular concrete-filled steel tubular short columns at elevated temperatures, Engineering Structures 180 (2019) 89-102.
[20] S.D. Salahaddin, J.H. Haido, G.J.A.S.E.J. Wardeh, Rheological and mechanical characteristics of basalt fiber UHPC incorporating waste glass powder in lieu of cement, 15(3) (2024) 102515.
[21] E. Ghafari, M. Arezoumandi, H. Costa, E. Júlio, Influence of nano-silica addition on durability of UHPC, Construction and Building Materials 94 (2015) 181-188.
[22] S.A. Mostafa, A.S. Faried, A.A. Farghali, M.M. El-Deeb, T.A. Tawfik, S. Majer, M. Abd Elrahman, Influence of Nanoparticles from Waste Materials on Mechanical Properties, Durability and Microstructure of UHPC, Materials (Basel) 13(20) (2020).
[23] M. Alkaysi, S. El-Tawil, Z. Liu, W. Hansen, Effects of silica powder and cement type on durability of ultra high performance concrete (UHPC), Cement and Concrete Composites 66 (2016) 47-56.
[24] A. Joshaghani, M.A. Moeini, Evaluating the effects of sugar cane bagasse ash (SCBA) and nanosilica on the mechanical and durability properties of mortar, Construction and Building Materials 152 (2017) 818-831.
[25] A. ASTM, C150/C150M-17, Standard Specifcation for Portland Cement, American Society for Testing and Materials, West Conshohocken, PA, USA, 2017.
[26] Z. Dong, G. Wu, X.-L. Zhao, H. Zhu, X. Shao, Behaviors of hybrid beams composed of seawater sea-sand concrete (SWSSC) and a prefabricated UHPC shell reinforced with FRP bars, Construction and Building Materials 213 (2019) 32-42.
[27] A. Rezzoug, A.H. AlAteah, M. Alqurashi, S.A.J.B. Mostafa, Development of Ultra High-Performance Concrete with Artificial Aggregates from Sesame Ash and Waste Glass: A Study on Mechanical Strength and Durability, 15(11) (2025) 1942.
[28] L. Abosrra, A.F. Ashour, M. Youseffi, Corrosion of steel reinforcement in concrete of different compressive strengths, Construction and Building Materials 25(10) (2011) 3915-3925.
[29] X. Yuan, W. Xu, A.H. AlAteah, S.A.J.C. Mostafa, B. Materials, Evaluation of the performance of high-strength geopolymer concrete prepared with recycled coarse aggregate containing eggshell powder and rice husk ash cured at different curing regimes, 434 (2024) 136722.
[30] M. Courtial, M.N. de Noirfontaine, F. Dunstetter, M. Signes-Frehel, P. Mounanga, K. Cherkaoui, A. Khelidj, Effect of polycarboxylate and crushed quartz in UHPC: Microstructural investigation, Construction and Building Materials 44 (2013) 699-705.
[31] I.S. Agwa, A.M. Zeyad, B.A. Tayeh, M. Amin, Effect of different burning degrees of sugarcane leaf ash on the properties of ultrahigh-strength concrete, Journal of Building Engineering 56 (2022).
[32] A.S. Faried, S.A. Mostafa, B.A. Tayeh, T.A. Tawfik, The effect of using nano rice husk ash of different burning degrees on ultra-high-performance concrete properties, Construction and Building Materials 290 (2021) 123279.
[33] N.D.K.R. Chukka, B.S. Reddy, K. Vasugi, Y.B.S. Reddy, L. Natrayan, S.J.A.S. Thanappan, Technology, Experimental testing on mechanical, durability, and adsorption dispersion properties of concrete with multiwalled carbon nanotubes and silica fumes, 2022 (2022) 4347753.
[34] K. Kishore, M.N. Sheikh, M.N.J.J.o.B.E. Hadi, Functionalization of Carbon Nanotubes for Enhanced Dispersion and Improved Properties of Geopolymer Concrete: A Review, (2025) 113096.
[35] Y. Zhang, Y. Zhu, S. Qu, A. Kumar, X. Shao, Improvement of flexural and tensile strength of layered-casting UHPC with aligned steel fibers, Construction and Building Materials 251 (2020) 118893.
[36] S.A. Khawaja, U. Javed, T. Zafar, M. Riaz, M.S. Zafar, M.K. Khan, Eco-friendly incorporation of sugarcane bagasse ash as partial replacement of sand in foam concrete, Cleaner Engineering and Technology 4 (2021).
[37] R. Hari, Y.J.C. Zhuge, B. Materials, Performance assessment of pervious concrete incorporated with calcium silicate hydrates (CSH) cultivated on rice husk ash substrates–A trend surface analysis interpretation, 446 (2024) 138050.
[38] X. Wang, S. Ding, A. Ashour, H. Ye, V.K. Thakur, L. Zhang, B.J.J.o.C.P. Han, Back to basics: Nanomodulating calcium silicate hydrate gels to mitigate CO2 footprint of concrete industry, 434 (2024) 139921.
[39] M. Gesoglu, E. Güneyisi, D.S. Asaad, G.F. Muhyaddin, Properties of low binder ultra-high performance cementitious composites: Comparison of nanosilica and microsilica, Construction and Building Materials 102 (2016) 706-713.
[40] D.-Y. Yoo, S. Kim, J.-J. Kim, B. Chun, An experimental study on pullout and tensile behavior of ultra-high-performance concrete reinforced with various steel fibers, Construction and Building Materials 206 (2019) 46-61.
[41] I. Lopez Boadella, F. Lopez Gayarre, J. Suarez Gonzalez, J.M. Gomez-Soberon, C. Lopez-Colina Perez, M. Serrano Lopez, J. de Brito, The Influence of Granite Cutting Waste on The Properties of Ultra-High Performance Concrete, Materials (Basel) 12(4) (2019).
[42] P. Ganesh, A.R. Murthy, Tensile behaviour and durability aspects of sustainable ultra-high performance concrete incorporated with GGBS as cementitious material, Construction and Building Materials 197 (2019) 667-680.
[43] Q. Ma, Y. Zhu, Experimental research on the microstructure and compressive and tensile properties of nano-SiO 2 concrete containing basalt fibers, Underground Space 2(3) (2017) 175-181.
[44] D. Zhu, S. Liu, Y. Yao, G. Li, Y. Du, C. Shi, Effects of short fiber and pre-tension on the tensile behavior of basalt textile reinforced concrete, Cement and Concrete Composites 96 (2019) 33-45.
[45] L. Gemi, E. Madenci, Y.O. Ozkilic, S. Yazman, A. Safonov, Effect of Fiber Wrapping on Bending Behavior of Reinforced Concrete Filled Pultruded GFRP Composite Hybrid Beams, Polymers (Basel) 14(18) (2022).
[46] Z. Mo, R. Wang, X. Gao, Hydration and mechanical properties of UHPC matrix containing limestone and different levels of metakaolin, Construction and Building Materials 256 (2020) 119454.
[47] W. Xu, T.Y. Lo, W. Wang, D. Ouyang, P. Wang, F. Xing, Pozzolanic Reactivity of Silica Fume and Ground Rice Husk Ash as Reactive Silica in a Cementitious System: A Comparative Study, Materials (Basel) 9(3) (2016).
[48] A. Rajasekar, K. Arunachalam, M. Kottaisamy, V. Saraswathy, Durability characteristics of Ultra High Strength Concrete with treated sugarcane bagasse ash, Construction and Building Materials 171 (2018) 350-356.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
Categories
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Advanced Multidisciplinary Engineering Journal
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Advanced Multidisciplinary Engineering Journal (AMEJ) content is published under a Creative Commons Attribution License (CCBY). This means that content is freely available to all readers upon publication, and content is published as soon as production is complete.
Advanced Multidisciplinary Engineering Journal (AMEJ) seeks to publish the most influential papers that will significantly advance scientific understanding. Selected articles must present new and widely significant data, syntheses, or concepts. They should merit recognition by the wider scientific community and the general public through publication in a reputable scientific journal.
