Radon resistant potential of concrete manufactured using Ordinary Portland Cement blended with rice husk ash

•Rice husk ash is used to reduce radon diffusion through concrete.•Burning temperature and time of rice husk ash are optimized.•Radon diffusion coefficient through RHA substituted concrete decreases.•The compressive strength of concrete increases up to 30% RHA addition.•This study provides a cost-effective method to reduce indoor radon entry through floor.

The emission of radon from building materials and soil depends upon the radium content, porosity, moisture content and radon diffusion length of materials. Several techniques have been used to reduce the radon emission from the soil using different flooring materials. But the effectiveness of radon shielding depends upon the diffusion of radon through these materials. The present study proposes a method for producing a radon resistant material for decreasing radon diffusion through it. The method involves rice husk ash (RHA) in addition to cement for the preparation of concrete used for flooring and walls. The radon diffusion, exhalation and mechanical property of concrete prepared by rice husk ash blended cement were studied. The addition of RHA caused the reduction in radon diffusion coefficient, exhalation rates, porosity and enhanced the compressive strength of concrete. The bulk radon diffusion coefficient of cementitious concrete was reduced upto 69% by addition of rice husk ash as compare to that of control concrete.