The Influence of Addition of Date Palm Leaves and Rice Husk on the Mechanical Properties of Cement Mortar

Abstract

The technological trend towards waste utilization and cost reduction in industrial processing has attracted the use of Rice Husk (RH) and Date palm leaves (DPL) as a value added material. Both RH and DPL have been found suitable for wide range of domestic as well as industrial applications. This paper presents the finding of the investigations done to assess the effect of DPL and RH additions on the properties of cement mortar. Mix design was cement: sand = 1:3, and DPL and RH were added individually to the cement mortar as 1, 1.5, 2, and 2.5% of the total weight of the mix. Fresh density, hardened density, compressive strength, water absorption and modulus of rupture were evaluated. The results revealed that the compressive strength and modulus of rupture decreased with the addition of DPL and RH. However, the compressive strength was slightly higher with the addition of RH than the addition of DPL. Water absorption was increased with the addition of DPL and RH. Additions of RH and DPL to the cement mortar would significantly contribute to waste management and sustainability. Cement mortar produced in this study could be used for finishing.