Effect of Guinea Corn Husk Ash (GCHA) on the compressive strength and water absorption of mortar .

Abstract

In this research work, the weight loss, compressive strength, and water absorption of samples of cured mortar are measured to assess the effects of adding a 2% increment of GCHA content into the mortar mixture as a partial replacement of cement to determine how this addition affects the strength and other physical properties of the mortar samples produced. Compressive strength, slump, and water absorption tests were conducted according to BS EN 12390-3 (2009), BS EN 12350-2 (2009), and BS 1881-122 (2011) respectively. The results show that adding GCHA into mortar mix improves the mortar's strength up to 4% replacement level before it starts to decline. Moreover, adding more GCHA to mortar increases the mortar slump and water absorbance while density decreases. In addition, the study also reveals that GCHA-containing mortar is easier to handle than the control sample. These findings collectively support the potential of incorporating agricultural waste material in construction practices to achieve environmentally sustainable and durable building materials