Les retenues hydroélectriques, au même titre que les voies navigables et les ports maritimes, peuvent être soumises à une accumulation de particules solides. Si la majorité des sédiments est gérée au sein même du cours d'eau par transfert dans le lit aval, des raisons techniques ou environnementales pourraient impliquer à l'avenir une gestion à terre des déblais. Quoique considérées comme des déchets par la réglementation, les matières issues de dragage apparaissent comme une ressource noble et renouvelable. Dans une approche d'économie circulaire, certains secteurs industriels semblent en mesure d'utiliser les sédiments fins de barrage comme des matières premières alternatives, dont l'industrie des liants hydrauliques. Deux modalités de valorisation sont considérées dans cette thèse avec, d'une part, une utilisation comme matière première du cru en vue de la fabrication de clinker et, d'autre part, un emploi comme substitut pouzzolanique au clinker en ciments composés.Par l'étude de 8 sédiments prélevés sur l'ensemble du territoire français, la démarche doit aboutir à dégager des typologies de sédiments fins. Ces matériaux sont caractérisés de façon détaillée sur les aspects physico-chimiques et minéralogiques. Ces caractérisations préalables constituent une approche obligatoire pour, ensuite, tester les deux voies de valorisation matière et vérifier l'adéquation des matériaux issus de dragage.L'emploi de sédiments dans le cru, en substitution aux ressources argileuses traditionnellement utilisées, est expérimenté en laboratoire. Des clinkers maximisant le taux d'incorporation de sédiments fins, entre 25 et 35 % selon le sédiment, sont synthétisés. Les clinkers ainsi produits présentent des particularités microstructurales qu'il faut parfois atténuer par une complémentation en argile de carrière. En somme, il est montré que, quel que soit le sédiment, une valorisation dans le cru semble envisageable tout en anticipant les propriétés du clinker in fine. En démonstration, un ciment CEM I de classe 52,5 N est fabriqué avec un taux d'incorporation de sédiment de 11,4 %.Sur le plan du développement de la réactivité pouzzolanique, un suivi de l'évolution des propriétés physiques et minéralogiques des sédiments avec la température est effectué. En parallèle de ces caractérisations, une évaluation de la réactivité pouzzolanique est conduite avec des essais chimiques et physiques par substitution partielle de ciment Portland par des sédiments calcinés. Cela conduit à déterminer, s'il y a lieu, un optimum de calcination. Les teneurs en kaolinite, de l'ordre de 10 % de certains échantillons étudiés permettent le développement d'une activité pouzzolanique qui peut être modérée à élevée (comparable à une cendre volante). Néanmoins, pour l'ensemble des sédiments riches en calcite et dont le cortège argileux ne présente que des argiles de type illite et chlorite, l'activation est faible ou nulle. / Hydroelectric dams, as well as waterways and marine harbours, can be subject to solid particles accumulation. Although sediment is mainly managed within the watercourse by a transfer into the downstream river bed, technical or environmental reasons might imply an on-land management in the future. Albeit sediments should be considered as waste according to regulations, dredged materials appear as valuable and renewable resources. In a circular economy approach, some industrial sectors could beneficially reuse fine-grained dam sediment as alternative raw materials, including hydraulic binders industry. Then, two ways of reusing are considered in this PhD thesis with on one hand, a valorization as raw material in the clinker meal and, on the other hand, as pozzolanic substitute to clinker in blended cements.Studying 8 different sediments that were sampled on the French territory, the approach aims to encompass various contexts and define some typologies. The materials are characterized in detail on physico-chemical and mineralogical aspects. These preliminary characterisations are necessary in order to test both the beneficial reuse opportunities and check the suitability of dredged sediments.The beneficial reuse of sediment in the clinker raw meal as replacement of traditional clay resources is experimented at the lab scale. Clinkers that maximize the fine-grained sediment content, between 25 and 35 % according to the sediment, are synthetized. These clinkers exhibit some special microstructural features that can be corrected by a clay addition as a third compound. Thus, it is shown that any sediment can be reused in the raw meal and that clinker characteristics can be anticipated and adjusted. As a demonstration, a CEM I 52.5 N cement was obtained incorporating 11.4 % of sediment in the raw meal.Concerning pozzolanic reactivity development, physical and mineralogical sediment characteristics are followed according to the calcination temperature. In parallel, pozzolanic reactivity is assessed with both chemical and physical tests, with a partial substitution of Portland cement by calcined sediments in cement pastes, in order to determine an optimum calcination temperature. Kaolinite contents around 10 % for some of the studied samples lead to a moderate to high pozzolanic reactivity, that can be comparable to fly ash. However, for all the sediments that contain calcite and only illite and chlorite clays, activation is low or null.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Civil Engineering / Kyle A. Riding / The cement industry is an important component in the quest to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions because of vast amounts of cement used annually. Incorporating supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) into concrete is one alternative to reduce cement production and thereby reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This study investigated three types of agricultural residues, namely corn stover, wheat straw, and rice straw, in addition to bioethanol byproducts as potential resources for SCM production for concrete applications. Pretreatments, commonly used in bioethanol production, were used to improve pozzolanic reactivity of corn stover ash (CSA), wheat straw ash (WSA), and rice straw ash (RSA) in cementitious systems. In the first part of this research, the impact of distilled water and dilute hydrochloric acid pretreatments on pozzolanic reactivity of WSA, RSA, and CSA were studied. Results showed that pretreatments, particularly dilute acid, improved pozzolanic properties of CSA, WSA, and RSA by removing potassium and phosphorous from the biomass prior to ashing. In addition, WSA and RSA were shown to have similar pozzolanic reactivity to that of silica fume. In the second part of this study, suitability of high lignin residue (HLR), a bioethanol byproduct, for SCM production was investigated. It was shown that burning high lignin residue produces HLR ash that is very reactive in cementitious materials and can be used as a reactive SCM in concrete. The impact of each step in the production of bioethanol on the quality of bioethanol byproduct for subsequent burning and use in concrete was also studied. Sodium hydroxide and sulfuric acid pretreatments and enzymatic hydrolysis were used. Results revealed that sodium hydroxide pretreatment of the biomass have negative impact on biomass ash properties for concrete use because sodium hydroxide pretreatment did not remove phosphorous and other crystalline phases out of the biomass. However, sulfuric acid pretreatment of biomass greatly improved ash properties. It was also shown that enzymatic hydrolysis could have beneficial impact on ash properties because, during enzymatic hydrolysis, some phosphorous was leached out of the biomass.

Published Article / Fly Ash is a by-product at thermal power stations, also otherwise known as residues of fine particles that rise with flue gases. An industrial by-product may be inferior to the traditional materials used construction applications, but, the lower the cost of these inferior materials make it an attractive alternative if adequate performance can be achieved. The objective of this study is to evaluate the chemical and physical effectiveness of self-cementing fly ashes derived from thermal power stations for construction applications with combined standards. Using laboratory testing specimens, suitable types of Fly Ashes namely: Kendal Dump Ash, Durapozz and Pozzfill, were tested to the required standards to evaluate the potential properties. All three Fly Ashes have been classified as a Class F Fly Ash, which requires a cementing agent for reactions to take place and for early strength gains in the early stages of the reaction processes. The Fly Ashes conformed to the combination of standards and have shown that the proper reactions will take place and will continue over period of time. The use of fly ash is accepted worldwide due to saving in cement, consuming industrial waste and making durable materials, especially due to improvement in the quality fly ash products.

O concreto é um dos materiais mais utilizados pela indústria da construção civil. Apesar de novos materiais terem entrado no setor da construção, ele não perdeu o seu valor devido as suas boas propriedades mecânicas, baixo custo e a alta flexibilidade construtiva. O concreto é responsável por uma parcela significativa do impacto humano ao meio ambiente, mas apesar de tudo é um dos materiais mais empregados e importantes da atualidade. A necessidade em agregar valor à grande quantidade de resíduos gerados no mundo é uma oportunidade para inclusão de novos materiais na formulação dos concretos, em substituição aos tradicionais. Quando as matérias-primas naturais são substituídas por resíduos sólidos, vários benefícios são alcançados, como a conservação dos recursos naturais, minimização da eliminação inadequada de rejeitos e liberação de áreas para fins mais nobres. Resíduos de vidro podem ser considerados como potenciais componentes do concreto e a sua utilização na produção dos mesmos impede a sua simples disposição em aterros. Dependendo do tamanho da partícula e da proporção de vidro utilizada na produção de concreto, comportamentos opostos podem ser observados: i) a reação álcali sílica relacionada a efeitos negativos de expansão, e ii) a reação pozolânica que melhora a resistência mecânica. Com a finalidade de promover o uso sustentável das matérias-primas amazônicas na construção civil de Manaus, foram produzidos concretos convencionais empregando-se seixo de rio e brita granítica como agregados graúdos, levando-se em conta fatores como disponibilidade regional e melhores características mecânicas. Os resultados de resistência à compressão axial e tração por compressão diametral entre os concretos produzidos com os dois tipos de agregados não apresentaram diferenças significativas. Com os resultados da pesquisa para o concreto convencional, realizou-se o desenvolvimento de concretos de alta resistência. Nesta fase, a pesquisa avaliou o efeito de resíduos de vidro moído em adição ou substituição ao cimento Portland na resistência mecânica de concretos, através de ensaios de compressão axial e tração por compressão diametral aos 7, 14, 21, 28 e 90 dias de cura, como resultado da atividade pozolânica do pó de vidro abaixo de 75 μm. O nível mais adequado de substituição do cimento por pó de vidro foi de 10%, que apresentou acréscimo de resistência à compressão axial de 69 MPa para 71 MPa aos 90 dias em comparação ao concreto convencional, enquanto que as misturas com adição de vidro apresentaram crescimento em praticamente todas as idades, comparadas à mistura de controle. A pesquisa também avaliou o desempenho de misturas com substituição e adição de sílica ativa, que apresentaram melhores resultados de resistência em relação às misturas contendo apenas pó de vidro reciclado. Os resultados obtidos mostraram que tanto o vidro em pó quanto a sílica têm efeito significativo na resistência do concreto. / Concrete is one of the materials most used by the construction industry. Although new materials entered the construction industry, it did not lose its value due to its good mechanical properties, low cost and high constructive flexibility. Concrete is responsible for a significant portion of the human impact on the environment, but it is one of the most used and important materials nowadays. The need to add value to the large amount of waste generated in the world is an opportunity to include new materials in the formulation of concrete instead of traditional ones. When natural raw materials are replaced by solid waste, several benefits are achieved, such as conserving natural resources, minimizing the improper disposal of waste, and releasing areas for nobler purposes. Glass waste can be considered as potential components of the concrete and its use in the production of these prevents its simple disposal in landfills. Depending on the particle size and the glass ratio used in concrete production, opposite behaviors can be observed: i) the silica alkali reaction related to negative expansion effects, and ii) the pozzolanic reaction that improves mechanical strength. In order to promote the sustainable use of Amazonian raw materials in the civil construction of Manaus, conventional concretes were produced by using river pebbles and granite gravel as large aggregates, taking into account factors such as regional availability and better mechanical characteristics. The results of axial compressive strength and diametral compression traction between the concretes produced with the two types of aggregates did not present significant differences. With the results of the research for the conventional concrete, the development of concrete of high resistance was carried out. In this phase, the research evaluated the effect of ground glass residues on addition or substitution to Portland cement in the mechanical strength of concretes, through axial compression and diametral compression traction at 7, 14, 21, 28 and 90 days of cure, as a result of the pozzolanic activity of the glass powder below 75 μm. The most adequate level of substitution of cement by glass powder was 10%, which presented increase of axial compressive strength from 69 MPa to 71 MPa at 90 days in comparison to conventional concrete, while the mixtures with glass added showed growth at almost all ages, compared to the control mix. The research also evaluated the performance of mixtures with substitution and addition of active silica, which presented better resistance results compared to mixtures containing only recycled glass powder. The results showed that both glass and silica have a significant effect on the strength of the concrete.

A questão central deste trabalho é demonstrar a viabilidade técnica e econômica da estabilização de solos com os cimentos pozolânicos de cinza de casca de arroz e de resíduo cerâmico. Para alcançar este objetivo o trabalho foi desenvolvido em duas etapas: a primeira referente ao desenvolvimento dos cimentos pozolânicos e a segunda referente à estabilização do solo propriamente dita. Em ambas as etapas adotou-se o critério da simplicidade e da possibilidade de utilização de equipamentos leves e de absorção de mão-de-obra não especializada. Os resultados técnicos e econômicos referentes ao cimento pozolânico de cinza de casca de arroz foram animadores; porém o mesmo não ocorreu com o cimento pozolânico de resíduo cerâmico que apresentou um desempenho em um patamar inferior. Quanto à estabilização de solos, os experimentos e a avaliação econômica efetuada mostram que a eficácia dos cimentos pozolânicos utilizados é limitada sendo difícil a obtenção de resultados comparáveis com o atualmente obtido com o cimento Portland. / The main scope of this work is to demonstrate the technical and economical viability of the soil stabilization with pozzolanic cements made from rice husk ash and waste bricks and tiles. In order to reach this objective the work has been developed in two stages: the first referes to the development of the pozzolanic cement and the second one referes to the soil stabilization. In both these stages the criteria that has been adopted was of the simplicity, of the use of light equipments and of non skilled labour. The technical and economical results referring to the rice husk ash pozzolanic cement were encouraging; but the same was not the case with the waste bricks and tiles pozzolanic cement that had an inferior performance. As regards the soil stabilization, the tests and the economical evaluation show that the efficiency of the pozzolanic cement is limited thus the results achieved are not as good as of the Portland cement.

O metacaulim é um material pozolânico que vem sendo pesquisado e adotado em vários países. O metacaulim é constituído basicamente de sílica (SiO) e alumina (Al2O3) na fase amorfa, capaz de reagir com o hidróxido de cálcio Ca(OH) gerado durante a hidratação do cimento Portland, formando produtos hidratados similares aos decorrentes da hidratação direta do clinquer Portland. Esta pozolana acelera o processo de hidratação do cimento, formando silicato de cálcio hidratado (C-S-H) adicional. O conhecimento das características do metacaulim que influenciam a interação com a cal, se faz necessário para subsidiar medidas preventivas com relação ao consumo de portlandita. O presente trabalho visa determinar as características físico-químicas relevantes para o entendimento da atividade pozolânica, avaliando as reações propiciadas pelo metacaulim em sistemas binários. Para este propósito, realizaram-se estudos experimentais em pasta e concreto, usando as técnicas de difratometria de raios X e de termogravimetria. As etapas experimentais consistiram: na caracterização do metacaulim, com ênfase na determinação do teor da fase amorfa; a avaliação da cinética da reação em sistema metacaulim/hidróxido de cálcio e análise da evolução da hidratação de cimento com alto teor de metacaulim. Nos sistemas cimenticios de concretos com diferentes teores de substituição de metacaulim com e sem cal hidratada, foi avaliado o comportamento da resistência à compressão. No metacaulim estudado, o teor da fase amorfa foi de 74,60% e o restante (25,40%) atua como material inerte, e o consumo máximo por atividade pozolânica, foi de 1,34 gr de Ca(OH)/grama de fase amorfa de metacaulim. Na evolução das reações, por atividade pozolânica o C-S-H foi formando gradativamente. A adição de 15% de metacaulim e 5% de cal hidratada em concretos proporcionou um ganho de resistência de 17% a mais em função do concreto de referência. / The metakaolin is a pozzolanic material that has been investigated and adopted in several countries. The metakaolin consists primarily of silica (SiO) and alumina (Al2O3) in the amorphous phase, and can react with calcium hydroxide Ca (OH) generated during hydration of Portland cement to form products similar to those obtained during Portland clinker basic hydration. This pozzolana could accelerate the hydration of cement, forming calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) additional. The knowledge of the characteristics of metakaolin that influence the interaction with lime provides the necessary subsidize to prevent excessive consumption of portlandite. This paper aims to determine the physical and chemical relevant characteristics in order to understand the pozzolanic activity, evaluating the responses provided by the metakaolin in binary systems. For this purpose, experimental studies were conducted in paste and concrete, using the techniques of X-ray diffraction and thermogravimetry. The experimental steps consisted of: the characterization of metakaolin, with emphasis on determining the amorphous phase content, this evaluation of the kinetics of the reaction system metakaolin and calcium hydroxide; The analysis of the evolution of the cement hydration with high content of metakaolin. In cementitious systems of concrete with different metakaolin replacement levels with and without hydrated lime, was rated the behavior of the compressive strength. The content of amorphous phase In the studied metakaolim was 74.60% and the remainder (25.40%) acts as an inert material, and the máximum consumption by pozzolanic activity was 1.34 g of Ca (OH)/g amorphous phase of metakaolin. During the evolution of pozzolanic reactions, the C-S-H was gradually formed. The addition of 15% metakaolin and 5% hydrated lime in concrete has a strength gain of 17% more depending on the reference concrete.

Orientador: Mauro Mitsuuchi Tashima / Resumo: O modo como são dispostos os resíduos gerados pela indústria, pela agropecuária e pela sociedade gera uma preocupação crescente. Muitas pesquisas têm sido desenvolvidas com a finalidade de diminuir o impacto que estes causam a sociedade e ao meio ambiente. Diversos resíduos têm sido estudados como materiais cimentícios suplementares para substituição de parte da quantidade de cimento, contribuindo para a redução de áreas de aterro e também na diminuição da emissão de CO2 associada à produção de cimento Portland, que é responsável por cerca de 5% a 8% da emissão global de CO2. Um destes resíduos industriais é a cerâmica vermelha, proveniente do descarte de olarias. O objetivo geral dessa pesquisa é estudar a aplicação de resíduo cerâmico proveniente de olarias em misturas de solo-cimento para estabilização de um solo laterítico, avaliando a resistência à compressão, o efeito de expansão e contração, o potencial hidrogeniônico, a condutividade elétrica, a microestrutura e a proporção ideal de mistura (solo + resíduo cerâmico + cimento Portland). Os resultados mostram ganho de resistência e menor contração/expansão para as misturas com cimento, em relação ao solo puro. E que mesmo com a substituição de parte do cimento por resíduo cerâmico, a resistência praticamente não se altera, devido a reação pozolânica existente entre a cerâmica e o hidróxido de cálcio, o que é confirmado nos ensaios de pH e condutividade elétrica e por imagens obtidas por meio de microscopia eletrônica de... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: The waste generated by industry, agriculture and society is a growing concern. Much research has been carried out to reduce the impact on society and the environment. Several residues have been studied as supplementary cementitious materials to replace part of the amount of cement, contributing to the reduction of landfill areas and also to the reduction of CO2 emissions associated with the production of Portland cement, which accounts for about 5% of 8% of global CO2 emissions. One of these industrial wastes is red ceramics from the disposal of potteries. The general objective of this research is to study the application of different percentages of the mixture of ceramic residue with Portland cement in the stabilization of a lateritic soil, evaluating the compressive strength, expansion and contraction effect, permeability, hydrogenation potential, electrical conductivity, the microstructure and the ideal mixing ratio (soil + ceramic residue + Portland cement). The results show increased strength and lower contraction / expansion for cement additions, relative to pure soil. And even with the replacement of part of the cement by ceramic waste, the strenght is practically unchanged due to the pozzolanic reaction between the ceramic and the calcium hydroxide, which is confirmed in the pH and electrical conductivity tests and the images of scanning electron microscopy. / Mestre

The extent of the benefits provided by use of SCMs in cementitious systems increases as their percentage amounts in total binder increases. However, the proportion of SCMs in cementitious systems is limited, especially for natural pozzolans, by some factors such as increase in water requirement and decrease in rate of strength development. Therefore investigations are needed to increase the amount of natural pozzolans in blended cements or in concrete as much as possible without decreasing their performance. This aim requires studies on cementitious systems with more reactive natural pozzolans than widely-used ones. The objective of the study was to investigate the pozzolanic activity of natural zeolites (clinoptilolite) from two localities in Turkey, and properties of cementitious systems containing low (15%), moderate (35%) and high (55%) amount of them. The study covers characterization of the natural zeolites used, evaluation of their pozzolanic activity in comparison with some popular mineral admixtures, and properties of pastes, mortars, and concrete mixtures containing low, moderate, and high amounts of natural zeolites. Reactivity of the natural zeolites with Ca(OH)2 was found to be higher than those of the fly ash and the non-zeolitic pozzolan, but lower than that of the silica fume. Natural zeolite blended cements were characterized with the following highlighted properties / faster setting than portland cement, low amounts of Ca(OH)2 and capillary pores larger than 50 nm in hardened pastes, relatively dense microstructure of hardened paste than portland cement, more compatibility with melamine-based superplasticizer than being with naphthalene-based one, and excellent compressive strength performance. Concrete mixtures containing natural zeolites as partial replacement for portland cement were characterized with the following properties / 7-day compressive strength of ~25 MPa and 28-day strength of 45-50 MPa with only 180 kg/m3 portland cement and 220 kg/m3 zeolite dosages (55% replacement), comparable modulus of elasticity with plain portland cement concrete, &ldquo / low&rdquo / and &ldquo / very low&rdquo / chloride-ion penetrability for low and large levels of replacement, respectively.

The improvement in the impermeability of concrete was studied using different methods. The main aim was to investigate impermeability improvement of concrete and to compare these methods. Two different methods were examined to investigate and compare impermeability and strength improvement of concrete by using two different sets of concrete specimens. These methods included the application of coating materials to concrete and the production of concrete using different constituent amounts and types. The first set of concrete specimens was prepared by applying two different coating materials (a coating material including both powder and liquid components / and a coating material including only a liquid component) on reference concrete specimens separately. The second set of concrete specimens was prepared using different proportions of concrete constituents such as cement, water, steel and plastic fibers, mineral and chemical concrete admixtures. Various tests were conducted on both sets of concrete specimens in order to compare the permeability of concrete specimens. However, some of these tests v were not applied on all of the specimens because of test and material specifications. The tests were used to evaluate compressive strength, water absorption, chloride ion penetration and depth of water penetration under pressure. These test methods were carried out on concrete cube specimens and concrete cores taken from those specimens according to the relevant standards. It was found that the permeability of the concrete specimens decreased significantly when the coating material which was composed of the combination of powder and liquid components was applied on concrete specimens. However, permeability did not decrease significantly for concrete specimens coated with the coating material composed of only a liquid component. Significant improvement in the impermeability of the concrete specimens was observed when the amount of cement was increased, the water-to-cement ratio was decreased, mineral admixtures (silica fume and fly ash) and plasticizers were used. This improvement was associated with densification of the concrete microstructure and reduction in capillary pores as a result of pozzolanic reaction and due to reduction in water-to-cement ratio. Coating materials were determined to be effective for concretes with high permeability prior to coating whereas their effect was less significant for lower-initial permeability concretes. Moreover, the effect of coating materials on permeability differed depending on their chemical compositions. The effect of using steel fibers and plastic fibers for the improvement of concrete impermeability was found to be insignificant.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:25:22Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2006-10-31Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T20:53:09Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 tashima_mm_me_ilha_prot.pdf: 3625758 bytes, checksum: 6fad98acc3467ec6096e67472b6e906d (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / Universidade Politecnica de Valencia- Espanha / O presente trabalho apresenta um método de produção de cinza de casca de arroz (CCA) altamente reativa e de coloração clara, bem como o seu comportamento em matrizes de cimento Portland com o intuito de avaliar a atividade pozolânica da CCA. O trabalho está dividido em quatro etapas, a saber: construção de um forno e produção da cinza de casca de arroz, caracterização físico-química da CCA, verificação da atividade pozolânica do material através de métodos instrumentais e, finalmente, ensaios mecânicos em argamassas de cimento Portland. O forno utilizado para a produção da cinza de casca de arroz não apresenta controle de temperatura e, o tempo de queima é bastante longo, aproximadamente 36 horas. Neste método obtém-se cerca de 1,5Kg de cinza por processo de queima. A cinza obtida apresenta uma coloração clara e o seu caráter amorfo foi determinado através de diferentes métodos: difração de Raio-X, determinação do teor de sílica amorfa, análise termogravimétrica, Microscopia Eletrônica de Varredura (MEV) e ensaios mecânicos em argamassas de cimento Portland. O programa experimental também abrange estudos de variação da finura da CCA e estudos com diferentes porcentagens, em substituição ao cimento Portland. Os resultados obtidos foram comparados... / This research show a method of production white amorphous Rice Husk Ash (RHA), therefore, the behaviour of RHA in Portland cement matrix to evaluate the pozzolanic activity of this material. The research can be shared in four steps, to know: construction of an oven and production of rice husk ash, physical-chemical analysis of the rice husk ash, evaluation of pozzolanic activity of the pozzolan though instrumental analysis and, finally, mechanical properties of Portland cement mortars. The oven used for production of rice husk ash didn't have a control of temperature and, the time of burning is so longer, approximately 36 hours. In this method is obtained for about 1,5Kg of ash. The obtained ash has white colour and its amorphous phase were determined though different methods: X-ray diffractometry, determination of amorphous silica, Termogravimetric Analysis (TA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and mechanical properties of Portland cement mortars. Besides that, the experimental procedure involves studies on fineness variation of rice husk ash and different degrees of Portland cement substitution. The obtained results were compared with silica fume, because this is the most similar pozzolanic material with rice husk ash. The RHA produced under this method can be used... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)