ASSESSMENT OF THE ACOUSTIC PROPERTIES OF MORTAR WITH PARTIAL RICE HUSK ASH REPLACEMENT

Abstract

Pollution from waste and noise is detrimental to people’s well-being and health, which is why concepts like waste utilization and acoustic comfort resonate in today’s society. Rice husk ash (RHA) has transitioned from being a waste product to a material used in various industrial sectors, primarily as a substitute for cementitious material due to the beneficial properties it can provide to concrete and mortar mixes. This study evaluated compressive strength, sorptivity, and acoustic impedance properties in mortar mixes, statistically analyzing 228 samples across different tests to determine a partial cement replacement percentage with RHA that would exhibit similar or favorable behavior compared to high-strength mortars. The most favorable result was achieved with a 10 % replacement, showing a compressive strength of 24,935 MPa and acoustic absorption coefficients at resonance peaks (495 and 1445 Hz) of 0,9173 and 0,0549, respectively, concluding with the development of an optimal material for acoustic wall insulation.