Eco-Friendly concrete innovations: The role of marble powder and rice husk ash in achieving sustainable construction practices

Research on substitute materials for concrete manufacturing, such as rice husk ash (RHA) and marble powder (MP), has been spurred by the growing building waste and the demand for sustainable resources. Using these waste components, this study investigates the workability and mechanical characteristics of M40 grade concrete. The workability and strength characteristics of the mixture are affected when steel slag and dolomite are substituted, according to the experimental results. Because of its tiny particles, increasing steel slag content initially made the concrete less workable; nevertheless, in M30 grade concrete, 20% dolomite and 15% steel slag replacement produced the best results. With a 30% dolomite and 5% steel slag combination, the compressive strength peaked at 33.6 N/mm² after 28 days. At the same replacement level, the split tensile strength and flexural strength also attained their greatest values, demonstrating steady advancements in the overall performance of the concrete. This study emphasizes how MP and RHA can be used in concrete as affordable, environmentally beneficial substitutes that support sustainable building methods.