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Development Of Light Weight Concrete

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By Dhawal Desai IIT Bombay ABST RACT T his paper deals with the development of two types of lightweight concrete the one using lightweight aggregate (Pumice stone) and the other water f loating type using Aluminium powder as an air entraining agent. T his also shows the importance of water/cement ratio as in f irst type of concrete it relates to the smoothness of the surf ace and in second one it is a major f actor which controls the expansion of concrete. INT RODUCT ION: Lightweight concrete can be def ined as a type of concrete which includes an expanding agent in it that increases the volume of the mixture while reducing the dead weight. It is lighter than the conventional concrete with a dry density of 300 kg/m3 up to 1840 kg/m3. T he main specialties of lightweight concrete are its low density and low thermal conductivity. T here are many types of lightweight concrete which can be produced either by using lightweight aggregate or by using an air entraining agent. In this project I have worked on each of the above mentioned types. Both of them are non-structural concrete. 1) By using Pumice stone as a lightweight aggregate: Pumice stone is a lightweight aggregate of low specif ic gravity. It is a highly porous material with a high water absorption percentage. In this we do not use the conventional aggregate and replace it by the pumice stone. 2) By using Aluminium powder as an air entraining agent: Water f loating aerated concrete is made by introducing air or gas into slurry composed of Portland cement and sand, so that when the mix sets and hardens, unif orm cellular structure is f ormed. T hus it is a mixture of water, cement and f inely crushed sand. We mix f ine powder of Aluminium to the slurry and it reacts with the calcium hydroxide present in it thus producing hydrogen gas. T his hydrogen gas when contained in the slurry mix gives the cellular structure and thus makes the concrete lighter than the conventional concrete. ADVANTAGE: Lightweight concrete is of utmost importance to the construction industry. T he advantages of lightweight concrete are its reduced mass and improved thermal and sound insulation properties, while maintaining adequate strength. T he marginally higher cost of the lightweight concrete is of f set by size reduction of structural elements, less reinf orcing steel and reduced volume of concrete, resulting in overall cost reduction. T he reduced weight has numerous advantages; one of them is reduced demand of energy during construction. T YPES OF LIGHT WEIGHT CONCRET E: Using lightweight aggregates: T his type is produced using lightweight aggregate such as volcanic rock or expanded clay. It can be produced with the use of naturally mined lightweight aggregates (bulk density in the range of 880 kg/m3) or manmade lightweight aggregates like Aardelite or Lytag (bulk density 800 kg/m3). Using foaming agents: T his one is produced through the addition of a f oaming agent in cement mortar.

T his creates a f ine cement matrix which has air voids throughout its structure. Aerated cement mortar is produced by the introduction of a gas into cementitious slurry so that af ter hardening a cellular structure is f ormed. T YPES OF LIGHT WEIGHT AGGREGAT E: Lightweight aggregates used in structural lightweight concrete are typically expanded shale, clay or slate materials that have been f ired in a rotary kiln to develop a porous structure. Other products such as air cooled blast f urnace slag are also used. Also there are some non structural lightweight aggregates with lower density made with other aggregate materials and higher air voids in the cement paste matrix. T hese are typically used f or their insulation properties. Natural aggregates: Inorganic Natural Aggregates: Diatomite, pumice, scoria and volcanic cinders are natural, porous volcanic rocks with a bulk density of 500 800 kg/m3 which make a good insulating concrete Organic Natural Aggregates: Wood chips and straw can be mixed with a binder to provide a lightweight natural aggregate. T hese are cellular materials which have air trapped within their structures once they have low moisture content. Manufactured aggregates: 1. Bloated clay, sintered f ly ash and f oamed blast f urnace slag. 2. Lightweight expanded clay aggregate: T his is produced by heating clay to a temperature of 1000 1200 o C, which causes it to expand due to the internal generation of gases that are trapped inside. T he porous structure which f orms is retained on cooling so that the specif ic gravity is much lower than what was bef ore heating it. Foaming agents: T here are some f oaming agents which when added to the cement slurry f orms air voids throughout its structure. Also there are some agents who react with the chemicals present in the cement slurry and evolve gases which results in the expansion of the slurry and when it hardens, leaves air voids in the concrete thus making it lighter than the normal concrete. T he bulk density of f ine lightweight aggregates is around 1200 kg/m3. T he bulk density of coarse lightweight aggregates is around 960 kg/m3. GENERAL PROPERT IES: Light Weight: Density range f rom 650 Kg/m3 to 1850 Kg/m3 as compared to 1800 Kg/m3 to 2400 Kg/m3 f or conventional brick and concrete respectively. Despite millions of tiny air f illed cells, it is strong and durable. T here is Lightweight advantage f or the structure design, leading to savings in supporting structures and f oundation. Compressive Strength: 2.0 to 7.0 N/mm2. Excellent Acoustic Performance: It can be used as ef f ective sound barrier and f or acoustic solutions. Hence, highly suitable f or partition walls, f loor screens / roof ing and panel material in auditoriums. Earthquake Resistant: Since lighter than concrete & brick, the lightness of the material increases resistance against earthquake. Insulation: Superior thermal insulation properties compared to that of conventional brick and concrete, so reduces the heating and cooling expenses. In buildings, light-weight concrete will produce a higher f ire rated structure. Workability: Products made f rom lightweight concrete are lightweight, making them easy to place using less skilled labour. T he bricks can be sawed, drilled and shaped like wood using standard hand tools, regular screws and nails. It is simpler than brick or concrete.

Lifespan: Weather proof , termite resistant and f ire proof . Savings in Material: Reduces dead weight of f iller walls in f ramed structures by more than 50% as compared to brickwork resulting in substantial savings. Due to the bigger and unif orm shape of blocks, there is a saving in bed mortar and plaster thickness. In most cases the higher cost of the light-weight concrete is of f set by a reduction of structural elements, less reinf orcing steel and reduced volume of concrete. Water Absorption: Closed cellular structures and hence have lower water absorption. Skim Coating: Do not require plaster and water repellent paint suf f ices. Wallpapers and plasters can also be applied directly to the surf ace. Modulus of Elasticity: T he modulus of elasticity of the concrete with lightweight aggregates is lower, 0.5 0.75 to that of the normal concrete. T heref ore more def lection is there in lightweight concrete. MANUFACT URING: It is produced by including large quantities of air in the aggregate, matrix or in between the aggregate particles or by a combination of these processes. Lightweight aggregates require wetting prior to use to achieve a high degree of saturation. If the aggregates arent f ully saturated they have a tendency to f loat towards the surf ace of the mix af ter it has been placed. Due to the higher moisture content of light-weight concrete, drying times are typically longer than regular concrete. Typically, a 0.5 water to cement ratio slurry is used as a base mixture f or lightweight concrete. T he water cement ratio varies according to specif ic project requirements. Note that lightweight concrete obtains its natural f luidity f rom the air bubble structure, not f rom excess water content. Effect of adding Fly ash: Fly ash added to the cement does not adversely af f ect the basic hardened state of lightweight concrete. Inf using and supporting the lightweight concrete with the air cell system is a mechanical action and is not problematic with f ly ash or other additives. Note that some f ly ash mixes may take longer to set than pure Portland cement applications. USES: T he primary use of lightweight concrete is to reduce the dead load of a concrete structure which then allows the structural designer to reduce the size of columns, f ooting and other load bearing elements. So the marginally higher cost of the lightweight concrete is of f set by the size reduction of structural elements, less reinf orcing steel and reduced volume of concrete, thus resulting in lower overall cost. T hey can also be used f or f ire protection, where they can shield structural steel f rom f ire. T hey are also used as an insulating block. Lightweight concrete has been used to construct extremely large cantilevers, as the member can be narrower due to the decreased dead load. Using concrete of a lower density results in a lower dead load and can result in savings due to smaller member sizes. Occasionally this can allow construction on ground with a low load-bearing capacity. T he porosity of lightweight aggregate provides a source of water f or internal curing of the concrete that provides continued enhancement of concrete strength and durability, but this does not prevent the need f or external curing. Structural light-weight concrete has been used f or bridge decks, piers and beams, slabs and wall elements in concrete and steel buildings, parking structures, tilt-up walls, topping slabs and composite slabs on metal decking.

Note: T he concrete cover to reinf orcement using lightweight aggregates in concrete should be adequate. Usually it is 25mm more than that of normal concrete because of its increased permeability and also concrete carbonates rapidly by which the protection to the steel by the alkaline lime is lost. AUT OCLAVED AERAT ED CONCRET E USING ALUMINIUM POWDER (AAC) Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC) or Autoclaved Lightweight Concrete (ALC) is a pre-cast construction material that is made f rom a variety of aggregate parts no larger than sand. At roughly one-f if th of the weight of normal concrete, it is an incredibly lightweight building material. It provides excellent thermal and acoustic resistance and also protects against household hazards as termites and f ire. AAC is commonly ref erred to as autoclaved cellular concrete because hydrogen bubbles f orm during the production process, resulting in small pockets of air within the concrete that substantially increase the volume of the f inal concrete product. T hough the precise composition of autoclaved aerated concrete may vary, it is generally made up of quartz sand or some other f ine aggregate, cement and water or some other binding component and aluminium powder. T he aluminium powder reacts with the cement and f orms hydrogen bubbles to f orm within the mix, thereby increasing the volume-to-weight ratio of the concrete mix. Af ter the mix is cast into the desired f orm and the volume-increasing chemical reactions occur, the concrete mix, which is still sof t, is autoclaved. MANUFACT URING PROCESS: T he raw materials are batched by weight and delivered to the mixer. Measured amounts of water and expansive agent are added to the mixer and the cementitious slurry is mixed. Steel moulds are prepared to receive the f resh AAC. If reinf orced AAC panels are to be produced, steel reinf orcing cages are secured within the moulds. Af ter mixing, the slurry is poured into the moulds. T he expansive agent creates small, f inely dispersed voids in the f resh mixture, which increases the volume by about 50 percent in the moulds within three hours. Within a f ew hours af ter casting, the initial hydration of cementitious compounds in the AAC gives it suf f icient strength to hold its shape and support its own weight. Af ter cutting, the aerated concrete product is transported to a large autoclave, where the curing process is completed. Autoclaving is required to achieve the desired structural properties and dimensional stability. T he process takes about eight to 12 hours under a pressure of about 174 psi (12 Bars) and a temperature of about 180o C. T ECHNICAL SPECIFICAT IONS: Density: 300 to 1600 kg per cum this is light enough to f loat in water Compressive strength: 300 to 900 psi Allowable shear stress: 8 to 22 psi T hermal resistance: 0.8 to 1.25 per in. of thickness Sound Transmission Class (ST C): 40 f or 4 in. thickness; 45 f or 8 in. thickness T ECHNICAL PERFORMANCE: Fire Resistance: Autoclaved aerated concrete provides the highest security against f ire and meets the most stringent f ire saf ety requirements. Due to its purely mineral composition, AAC is classif ied as a noncombustible building material. It is both resistant to f ire up to 1200o C and heat resistant. Structural Performance: Autoclaved aerated concrete is strong and durable despite its lightweight. AACs solidity comes f rom the calcium silicate that encloses its millions of air pores and f rom the process of curing in a pressurized steam chamber, an autoclave. Its excellent mechanical properties make it the construction material of choice f or earthquake zones. Sound Insulation: AAC has excellent sound insulation properties compared to other building materials with the same weight. Durability: It retains its properties f or the entire lif e of a building and can resist wind, earthquake, rain (also acid rain), storm and a wide range of external temperatures.

ADVANTAGES: It has been ref ined into a highly thermally insulating concrete-based material used f or both internal and external construction. Besides AACs insulating capability, one of its advantages in construction is its quick and easy installation, f or the material can be routed, sanded and cut to size on site using standard carbon steel band saws, hand saws and drills. Sustainable Construction T he choice of the right building material is one of the key f actors f or sustainable buildings. AAC is a building material which of f ers considerable advantages over other construction materials. Its high resource ef f iciency gives low environmental impact in all phases of its lif e cycle, f rom the processing of raw materials to the disposal of AAC waste. Environmental Performance: Resources: AAC is made f rom naturally occurring materials that are f ound in abundance lime, f ine sand, other siliceous materials, water and a small amount of aluminium powder (manuf actured f rom a by-product of aluminium). Furthermore the production of AAC demands relatively small amounts of raw materials per m3 of product, and up to a f if th as much as other construction products. Environmental impact during production: No raw materials are wasted in the production process and all production of f cuts is f ed back into the production circuit. T he manuf acture of AAC requires less energy than f or all other masonry products, thereby reducing use of f ossil f uels and associated emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2). Industrial-quality water is used and neither water nor steam is released into the environment. No toxic gases are created in the production process. Environmental impact during use: AACs excellent thermal ef f iciency makes a major contribution to environmental protection by sharply reducing the need f or space heating and cooling in buildings. In addition, AACs easy workability allows accurate cutting that minimizes the generation of solid waste during use. T he f act that AAC is up to f ive times lighter than concrete leads to signif icant reductions in CO2 emissions during transportation. Reuse, recovery and disposal: T hroughout the lif e cycle of AAC, potential waste is reused or recycled wherever possible to minimize f inal disposal in landf ill. Where AAC waste is sent to landf ill, its environmental impact is minor since it contains no toxic substances. DISADVANTAGES: Autoclaved aerated concrete is not without its disadvantages. For example, it is not as strong as less porous varieties of concrete, so it must of ten be reinf orced if it is to be used f or intense load-bearing work. T hough it can be shipped just about anywhere with relative ease because of its light weight, autoclaved aerated concrete is not widely produced, so it may be dif f icult f or many to obtain it locally. It must also be coated with some f orm of protective material, as it tends to degrade over time because of its porous nature. USES: It is a lightweight, precast building material that simultaneously provides structure, insulation, and f ire and mould resistance. AAC products include blocks, wall panels, f loor and roof panels and lintels. USE OF ALUMINIUM POWDER: T he reactants in aerated concrete are lime (which is present in cement) and aluminium powder. When the aluminium powder is added to slurry of lime, hydrogen is produced in the f orm of bubbles. T hick slurry is made with lime/cement along with aggregates. Aluminium powder is added in the f inal stage of mixing. T he mix is poured into moulds. T he moulds are autoclaved which imparts strength. AAC is produced using no aggregate larger than sand. Quartz sand, lime and/or cement and water are used as a binding agent. Aluminium powder is used at a rate of 0.05% 0.08% by volume of cement.

T he hydrogen gas f oams and doubles the volume of the raw mix (creating gas bubbles up to 1/8 inch in diameter). At the end of the f oaming process, the hydrogen escapes into the atmosphere and is replaced by air. Depending on its density, up to 80% of the volume of an AAC block is air. AACs low density also accounts f or its low structural compression strength. It can carry loads up to 1,200 Psi, approximately only about 10% of the compressive strength of regular concrete. AAC material can be coated with a stucco compound or plaster against the elements. Siding materials such as brick or vinyl siding can also be used to cover the outside of AAC materials. EXPERIMENT S OF AAC: Since the autoclave f acility was unavailable at the place where I was working, I did not autoclave my samples and thus was unable to f ind its actual strength.

T he mix design f or the f irst sample was decided based on studies. T hen f urther samples were made by changing some proportions in the previous ones. Sample no. 1: In this the cement/sand ratio taken is 1:1. Also the w/cm ratio taken is 0.4. Aluminium powder is 0.4 0.5% by weight of cement. Cement (OPC): 1.08 kg Sand: 1.08 kg Water: 440 gm Aluminium powder: 4 5 gm T he mixture was hot just af ter mixing which conf irmed the chemical reaction in that. Also hissing sound was coming which conf irmed the evolution of gas. Since this is aerated concrete, it should expand. But it did not. T he reason was less amount of water since it did not f orm slurry and there were gaps between the particles through which all the evolved gases escaped out f rom the concrete. T hese gases should remain there only so that the concrete expands but it did not happen. So f or the next sample, I increased the w/cm ratio to make the slurry. Sample no. 2: With w/cm ratio = 0.45 Cement (OPC): 540 gm Sand: 540 gm Water: 243 gm Aluminium powder: 3 gm T his mixture made slurry which was easily f lowing. In this just af ter f illing the cube the initial depth of the top surf ace of the slurry was 11.5 cm. Af ter just 5 minutes, the depth was 10 cm which showed that it expanded as we predicted. Weight of the sample: 1.14 kg Volume: 15 x 15 x 5 cm3 Density: 1013.33 kg/m3 Sample no. 3: To reduce density f urther, I decreased the quantity of sand. Cement (PPC): 1080 gm Sand: 940 gm Water: 490 gm Aluminium powder: 6 gm In this sample the initial depth of the top surf ace of the slurry was 6.8 cm and just af ter 5 minutes the depth was 3 cm. Weight of the sample: 2.02 kg Volume: 15 x 15 x 12 cm3 Density: 748.15 kg/m3 T his was f loating in water. Sample no. 4: In this new sample I tried to use Pumice Stone powder and reduced the quantity of sand in the mixture. In this sample I had to use more quantity of water since pumice stone absorbs water. Cement (PPC): 1080 gm Sand: 840 gm Pumice Stone Powder: 120 gm Water: 660 gm Aluminium powder: 6 gm In this sample the initial depth of the top surf ace of the slurry was 8.6 cm and the f inal depth was 4.5 cm.

Weight of the sample: 2.04 kg Volume of the sample: 15 x 15 x 10.5 cm3 Density: 863.49 kg/m3 Sample no. 5: Sample of 2 cubes. Cement: 16202 = 3240 gm Sand: 12602 = 2520 gm Pumice stone powder: 1802 = 360 gm Water: 9252 = 1850 gm Aluminium powder: 92 = 18 gm

Sample no. 6: Sample of 2 cubes Cement: 12962 = 2592 gm Sand: 10082 = 2016 gm Pumice stone powder: 1442 = 288 gm Water: 7402 = 1480 gm Aluminium powder: 72 = 14 gm Here the initial depth of top surf ace of both the cubes was 6 cm and the f inal depth was 0 cm. Weight of each cube: 2.45 kg Volume of each cube: 15 x 15 x 15 cm3 Density: 725.92 kg/m3

So in all, sample numbers 3, 4, 5 and 6 were the successf ul ones. T hey all were f loating in water. LIGHT WEIGHT CONCRET E USING PUMICE ST ONE: T he word Pumice is a general term used f or a range of porous materials produced during volcanic eruptions. Pumice stone can be weak and porous or strong and less porous. Its water absorption is as high as 55% since it is a highly porous material. T he major reason behind using pumice as an aggregate is its much light weight and comparatively high strength. Pumice stone: light, spongy, highly porous kind of lava with a vitreous texture. Pumice has high silica & alkali and low calcium & magnesia content. Its spongy cellular texture is a result of the gases escaping f rom hot lava. It is having low strength and it is a good thermal insulator, sound insulator and f ire insulator. T EST S ON LIGHT WEIGHT CONCRET E USING PUMICE ST ONE AS A LIGHT WEIGHT AGGREGAT E: For this project, we got pumice stone as big as 50 mm size. So we crushed it to the size less than 20 mm. T he mix design f or the f irst sample was decided based on studies. T hen f urther samples were made by changing some proportions in the previous ones. Sample no. 1: 1 cube Cement: 1.18 kg Sand: 2.63 kg Pumice: (> 10 mm): 590 gm (4.75 10 mm): 910 gm (< 4.75 mm): 155 gm Water: 1230 gm Next day when the cube was opened, its weight was 3.94 kg. So its density was 1167.40 kg/m3. It was light as desired but its f inish was not good. T he surf aces were not smooth. It happened because I did not consider the water absorption by pumice stone and also did not use the admixture.

3 days cube testing: S.no, Weight of cube(Kg), Load (kN), Strength (MPa). 1, 3.94, 23.1, 1.03. For calculating water absorption by pumice stone: Take a sample of pumice stone in a bucket and note down its dry weight. T hen f ill the bucket with enough water and let it remain as it is f or 5-6 hours. T hen remove the excess water and note down the wet weight of the stones. T he two weights will give us the % water absorption by the pumice stone. Dry weight: 388 gm Wet weight: 604 gm % water absorption: (wet weight dry weight) * 100 / (dry weight) = 55.67 % Sample no. 2: 1 cube considering water absorption and using admixture. In this I reduced the quantity of sand to f urther reduce the density of the concrete and to compensate the ef f ect of reduced f ines, used more amount of pumice less than 4.75 mm. Cement: 1 kg Sand: 600 gm Pumice: (> 10 mm): 600 gm (4.75 10 mm): 430 gm (< 4.75 mm): 300 gm Water: 1300 gm Admixture: 6 gm T he admixture used was Sika Viscocrete 5001. T his made water release f rom cement particles. Af ter opening it we f ound that its f inish was not good. Some areas were smooth and some were not. Its reason came out to be the larger particles of pumice stone. So next time I did not use particles bigger than 10 mm. Sample no. 3: f or 3 cubes using aggregates less than 10 mm. Cement: 3540 gm Sand: 1800 gm Pumice (smaller than 10 mm): 4100 gm Water: 3400 gm

Water: 3400 gm Admixture: 21 gm T hese cubes had low density and also smooth surf ace. 7 days cube testing: S.no, Weight of cube(Kg), Density(Kg/m3), Load (kN) Strength (MPa) 1, 4.2, 1244.44, 163.0, 7.24 2, 4.4, 1303.70, 148.4, 6.60 Sample no. 4: Sample f or 2 cubes. Cement: 3540 gm Sand: 2100 gm Pumice: (4.75 10 mm): 2180 gm (< 4.75 mm): 1930 gm Water: 3400 gm Admixture: 14 gm Weight of each cube: 4882 gm Volume of each cube: 15 x 15 x 15 cm3 Density: 1446.51 kg/m3 So in all, sample numbers 3 and 4 were the successf ul ones. T heir f inish was good and they were light also. CONCLUSION Based on the above experiments and samples made, f ollowing has been concluded: 1) T he Aerated concrete is a much lighter concrete and can f loat on water. It does not contain coarse aggregates. It is composed of cement, sand, high water-cement ratio and aluminium powder. Just as we mix the aluminium powder in the cement-sand slurry, the expansion in the volume can be observed. Within 5 minutes it expands by 30%. It consists of many pores and thus is not structurally strong. It is a good insulator of heat and sound and thus can be used in place of conventional bricks or at the places which does not bear any load. 2) T he lightweight concrete manuf actured using Pumice stone as a lightweight aggregate is half the denser than the normal concrete. In this the normal coarse aggregates are replaced by pumice stone aggregate having size less than 10 mm. Its surf ace is f lat and smooth and showing a good f inish. Although it cannot be used as a structural concrete but its cube test results show considerable strength and can be used as an architectural concrete. It is a good insulator of heat and sound and thus has the same uses as of the above aerated concrete. REFERENCES

1) Ambuja Knowledge Centre Library. Ambuja Cements Ltd. 2) Samuel Green, Nicholas Brooke and Len McSaveney. Pumice aggregate f or structural lightweight and internally cured concretes 3) Keertana. B, Sini Sara Mani and M. T henmozhi. Utilization of ecosand and f ly ash in aerated concrete f or a richest mix design 4) Hjh Kamsiah Mohd.Ismail, Mohamad Shazli Fathi and Norpadzlihatun bte Manaf . Study of lightweight concrete behavior 5) Handbook on aerated concrete products by PT Y Ltd 6) Giuseppe Campione and Lidia La Mendola. Behavior in compression of lightweight f ibre reinf orced concrete conf ined with transverse steel reinf orcement (2002) ACKOWLEDGEMENT I, Dhawal Desai, 2nd year undergraduate student of Civil Engineering department, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, gratef ully acknowledge the support and lab f acility provided by M/s Ambuja Cements Ltd. Mumbai, to carryout this project work on Lightweight Concrete during my internship in Dec, 2011 winter vacation. We at engineeringcivil.com are thankful to Er Dhawal Desai for submitting his paper on Development Of Light Weight Concrete to us. We are hopeful this will be of great use to all those who wish to know more about this topic.