Influence of rice husk ash and nano‐CaCO₃ on the properties of self‐compacting mortar

Nanotechnology is one of the leading and promising fields of research in building and construction materials. The goal of this study is to examine the mechanical and durability behavior of the cement matrix that incorporates rice husk ash and nano‐CaCO₃. Nano‐CaCO₃ was mixed with 1%, 2%, and 3% ratios, and the rice husk ash was 10%, 20%, 30%, and 40% by the weight of cement. The rheological properties determined through mini V‐funnel flow‐time test. The cement mortar specimens are made with different percentages of rice husk ash and nano‐CaCO₃, on which the properties of self‐compacting produce better performance. Scanning electron microscopy illustrates the highly packed pore structure of mortars resulting in improved strength and durability of the self‐compacted mortar specimen. Although the compressive strength of samples increased by up to 3% through the addition of mortar, compressive strength, water absorption, electrical resistivity, ultrasonic pulse velocity, and scanning electron microscopy tests are performed to evaluate their durability. The results show that combination of nano‐CaCO₃ and rice husk ash enhanced the mechanical properties.