a mathematical model for optimization of strength of concrete: a case study for shear modulus of rice husk ash concrete

rice husk ash (rha) is natural pozzolan containing reactive silica and/or aluminum. when the material is mixed with lime in powdered form and in the presence of water, it will set and harden like cement. this work uses osadebe’s optimization model to optimize the shear modulus of concrete made from rha. the strengths predicted by the model are in good agreement with their corresponding experimentally obtained values. with the model, any desired strength of hardened concrete, given any mix proportions, is easily evaluated. the average poisson ratio and mean shear strength for the concrete are found to be 0.26 and 5.5 n/mm2 respectively.