Numerical Modeling and Simulation of the Mechanical Behavior of Self-Locking Blocks Made from Rice Huskplastic Composite Material

This study explores the valorization of rice husk and plastic waste through the design of self-locking blocks for construction. The objective is to model and numerically simulate the mechanical behavior of blocks composed of two composites: rice husk concrete and melted plastic. The blocks, named RHCP Blocks (Rice Husk, Cement, Plastic Blocks), consist of three 4 cm thick rice husk concrete plates, with the intermediate plate offset and assembled to the other two using a 1.5 cm thick layer of melted plastic. The results show that RHCP blocks exhibit a compressive strength of 4.1 MPa, more than twice that of rice husk concrete alone, which is 1.75 MPa. The tensile strength reaches 2.53 MPa, an increase of more than 2.5 times compared to rice husk concrete alone, which is 1 MPa. The RHCP block has a density of 914.17 kg/m³ and a thermal conductivity between 0.119 and 0.126 W/m·K, indicating insulating performance superior to traditional materials like brick or concrete. These characteristics make RHCP blocks as promising composite for applications requiring robustness and thermal insulation in sustainable construction.