Mitigation of early age shrinkage of ultra high performance concrete by using rice husk ash

Ultra high performance concrete (UHPC) has become one of promising concretes in the last decade because of its excellent performance, such as high strength, low permeability and very good durability. However, like high performance concrete, UHPC is also subjected to high autogenous shrinkage due to high amount of cement and silica fume used. Seeking the ways to reduce the autogenous shrinkage is a very important task in the field of cement and concrete research. In this paper, the Rice husk ash, an agriculture waste, is explored to mitigate the autogenous shrinkage of UHPC. With high amorphous SiO2 content and special porous structure, the RHA shows not only reduce the cost and improve the early age properties of the UHPC but also increase the environmental benefits.