Effect of Rice Husk Ash and Silica Fume as Strength-Enhancing Materials on Properties of Modern Concrete—A Comprehensive Review

Achieving a concrete with good strength and durability using OPC is quite challenging in the present scenario as per the environmental exposures are concerned. Hence, Geopolymer concrete, concrete without cement, has proved to be a better alternative and qualifies to be a concrete for modern-age constructions. Modern concrete production should promote the idea of sustainable utilization of various industrial by-products such as fly ash, silica fume, Rice Husk Ash, ground-granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS), and many more which are pozzolanic in nature. And the old conventional method of making concrete using OPC should be minimized gradually as cement production is a potential threat to environment due to huge carbon footprints leading to global warming. So the major challenge of concrete makers is to develop and implement newer construction materials which will enhance strength and durability of concrete. High-strength Geopolymer concrete and blended OPC-based concrete are the most important research areas which need to be encouraged at a higher scale for making durable high-rise structures utilizing strength-enhancing materials. In this review, the effects of incorporation of strength-enhancing materials, i.e., silica fume and Rice Husk Ash on Geopolymer concrete and OPC-based concrete, are discussed with necessary comparisons from various research studies around the world.