Economic and Environmental Feasibility of Hybrid Concrete Incorporating Steel Slag and Rice Husk Ash: A Path Toward Green and Circular Construction Finance
Keywords:
Steel slag, Rice husk ash, Hybrid concrete, Supplementary cementitious materials, Life cycle assessment, Cost efficiency, Circular economy, Sustainable constructionAbstract
The concrete industry remains a major contributor to global CO₂ emissions, primarily due to the production of Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC). This study examines the financial and environmental viability of hybrid concrete incorporating steel slag (SS) and rice husk ash (RHA) as sustainable supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs). A combined techno-economic and life cycle assessment (LCA) framework was developed to evaluate mechanical performance, durability, embodied carbon reduction, and cost efficiency. The optimal mix containing 15% SS and 10% RHA not only achieved a 6.7% higher 28-day compressive strength compared to the OPC control but also demonstrated a 42.5% reduction in CO₂ emissions and a 12.8% decrease in production costs. The results highlight how valorizing industrial and agricultural by-products in concrete can enhance investment returns, reduce carbon liabilities, and support the transition toward circular and low-carbon construction financing. This study provides insights for policymakers, investors, and construction firms in integrating sustainable materials into green finance frameworks.
References
Andrew, R. (2019). Global CO₂ emissions from cement production. Earth System Science Data, 11(4), 1675–1710. https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-11-1675-2019
Li, L., Ling, T. C., & Pan, S. Y. (2022). Environmental benefit assessment of steel slag utilization and carbonation: A systematic review. Science of The Total Environment, 806, 150280.
Manso, J. M., Rodríguez-Leal, L., & Terrones-Saeta, J. J. (2019). Circular economy strategies for concrete production. Journal of Cleaner Production, 214, 441–450. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.12.267
Krishna, R. V., Ranjbar, M. M., & Moghadam, H. A. (2016). Optimal rice husk ash level for compressive strength of concrete. Materials and Structures, 49(5), 177–185. https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-016-0865-2
Madandoust, R., Ranjbar, M. M., Moghadam, H. A., & Mousavi, S. Y. (2011). Mechanical properties and durability assessment of rice husk ash concrete. Biosystems Engineering, 110(2), 144–152. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biosystemseng.2011.07.003
Ahmad, S., Awan, M., & Aslam, M. (2020). Influence of rice husk ash and silica fume on mechanical and durability properties of concrete. Construction and Building Materials, 243, 118–127. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2020.118327
Cordeiro, G. C., Toledo Filho, R. D., & Fairbairn, E. M. (2011). Effect of calcination temperature on the pozzolanic activity of rice husk ash. Construction and Building Materials, 23(3), 777–781. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2008.11.002
Chaurand, P., Rose, J., & Briois, V. (2012). Environmental impact of steel slag reuse in construction materials: A review. Waste Management, 32(2), 232–244. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2011.09.003
Feiz, R., Ammenberg, J., & Eklund, M. (2015). Improving the CO₂ performance of cement: Part I. Journal of Cleaner Production, 98, 272–281. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2014.01.083
Ganesan, K., Rajagopal, K., & Thangavel, K. (2015). Evaluation of durability characteristics of rice husk ash concrete. Materials and Structures, 48, 943–954. https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-013-0209-0
Guo, M., Shi, C., & Zhang, Z. (2018). Steel slag as a supplementary cementitious material: A review. Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering, 30(10), 04018214. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)MT.1943-5533.0002418
Das, A., Rahman, N.-U., & Hossain, Z. (2025, June). Sustainability assessments of hot and warm mix asphalt paving technologies. In Proceedings of the 10th North American International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Operations Management (pp. 1–12). IEOM Society International. https://doi.org/10.46254/NA10.20250343
Rahman, N.-U., Das, A., & Hossain, Z. (2025, June). Evaluating the use of steel slag and rice husk ash as replacements of aggregate in concrete: A sustainable next-gen concrete. In Proceedings of the 10th North American International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Operations Management (pp. 1–12). IEOM Society International. https://doi.org/10.46254/NA10.20250345
Gursel, A. P., & Masanet, E. (2019). Life-cycle assessment of concrete production with industrial by-products. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 143, 208–222. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2019.01.026
Li, L., Ling, T.-C., & Pan, S.-Y. (2022). Environmental benefit assessment of steel slag utilization and carbonation: A systematic review. Science of the Total Environment, 806, 150280. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150280
Liu, H., Li, X., & Xie, Z. (2021). Combined use of steel slag and rice husk ash in marine concrete: Mechanical and durability performance. Construction and Building Materials, 275, 122173. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2020.122173
Madandoust, R., Ranjbar, M. M., & Mousavi, S. Y. (2011). Mechanical properties and durability assessment of rice husk ash concrete. Biosystems Engineering, 110(2), 144–152. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biosystemseng.2011.07.003
Nair, D. G., Fraaij, A., & Klaassen, A. (2018). Durability of rice husk ash blended cement: A performance review. Cement and Concrete Composites, 95, 61–72. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2018.09.006
Shaikh, F. U. A. (2016). Review of mechanical and durability properties of high-volume fly ash concrete containing nanomaterials. Construction and Building Materials, 128, 287–299. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2016.10.094
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Chau-A Thai (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
