Influence of the use of rice husk ash on the electrical resistivity of concrete: A technical and economic feasibility study

This study investigated the behavior of apparent electrical resistivity of concrete mixes with the addition of rice husk ash using Wenner’s four electrode method. Tests included compressive strength, porosity and electrical conductivity of the pore solution. The contents of rice husk ash tested were 10%, 20% and 30% and results were compared with a reference mix with 100% Portland cement and two other binary mixes with 35% fly ash and 50% blast furnace slag. Higher contents of rice husk ash resulted in higher electrical resistivity, which exceeded those of all other samples. However, for compressive strength levels between 40 MPa and 70 MPa, the mix with 50% blast furnace slag showed the best combination of cost and performance.