Predicting Compressive Strength of Advanced Bricks with Rice Husk Ash Using Feedforward Neural Network

Rice husk ash (RHA) is a sustainable alternative to Portland cement in construction applications. A byproduct from rice milling, RHA is rich in silica and, when properly burned, exhibits pozzolanic properties that enhance the performance of concrete. The study examines the transformation of rice husk into RHA, emphasizing its composition of opaline silica and lignin, which contributes to improved bonding between cement paste and aggregate, ultimately resulting in enhanced concrete strength, waterproofing, and chemical resistance. In contrast, the production of Portland cement is energy-intensive, significantly contributing to carbon emissions. A neural network model was developed to predict the compressive strength of advanced bricks incorporating RHA. The model, trained on a dataset segmented into training, validation, and test subsets, demonstrated strong predictive capability with a high correlation coefficient (R = 0.9594) during training, showcasing its effectiveness in capturing underlying data patterns. Validation metrics improved further, achieving an R-value of 0.9714, indicating vigorous generalization to unseen data and confirming that the model is not overfitting. Experimental testing corroborated these findings, with measured stress values—4.69508 MPa for 20%, 7.58838 MPa for 15%, and 3.51326 MPa for 10% RHA—demonstrating effective load resistance across different material configurations. The model’s performance on the test set, with an R-value of 0.9521, reflects the bricks' above-average durability and reinforces the model's reliability in predicting compressive strength. The consistent performance of the neural network model not only mirrors the actual material behavior observed in the tests but also highlights its significant potential as a powerful tool for both research and practical applications. Overall, these findings support the case for RHA as a valuable resource in sustainable construction. The findings emphasize RHA's potential as an eco-friendly and effective substitute for traditional Portland cement, promoting sustainable construction methods while improving structural efficiency and safety.