Investigation of the usage of pumice and rice shellow ash in Nevşehir region in light concrete production

In this study, it was aimed to investigate the usability of Nevşehir region pumice and rice husk ash in the production of lightweight concrete. For this purpose, 90% Nevşehir pumice and 10% sand were used as aggregate. Rice husk ash in different amounts (10%, 20%, 30%) was added to the production of lightweight concrete as a cement replacement material. The study was carried out in three stages. In the first stage, a reference sample was produced to compare rice husk substituted samples. In the second stage, lightweight concrete samples with 10%, 20% and 30% rice husk ash replacement were produced. In the third stage, experiments were carried out to determine the physical and mechanical properties of the samples. As a result of the study, it was seen that the lowest dry unit weight, porosity, compactness and water absorption values were obtained by substituting 30% rice husk. It was determined that the compressive strength and splitting tensile strength increased with the increase of rice husk ash replacement. Additionally, it was concluded that rice husk ash substitute can easily be incorporated into lightweight concrete production and thus contribute to waste disposal. Key Words: Pumice, rice husk ash, lightweight concrete, Nevşehir, acidic pumice