Consolidation characteristics of clayey soils improved with rice husk ash

Abstract

Rice husk is a by-product of the rice milling process. About one hundred million tons of
rice husk per year are produced worldwide. In order to reduce the volume of waste, rice
husk is burned as a fuel in ovens for rice drying, the burning effect volatilizes the organic
compounds and water of the rice husk, and about 20% of the mass remains as rice husk
ash. Rice hush ash has pozzolonic effect and can be used as an additive in concrete.
Besides, the improvement of soils through addition of rice husk ash and lime was studied
in several researches. In the current study, consolidation characteristics of soils
improved with rice husk ash, an organic pozzolanic waste product, were investigated
through laboratory studies.