Durability of lightweight concretes with lightweight fly ash aggregates

This paper presents the effects of aggregate properties such as strength, porosity, water absorption, bulk density and specific gravity on the strength and durability of lightweight fly ash aggregate concrete (LWAC). The influence of properties of four aggregates (sintered lightweight fly ash aggregates, cold-bonded lightweight fly ash aggregate and normalweight aggregate) on mechanical and durability properties of concrete is discussed. Experimental results revealed that durable high-strength air-entrained lightweight concretes could be produced using sintered or cold-bonded lightweight fly ash aggregates, having comparable performance with the normalweight concretes. The use of lightweight aggregates (LWA) instead of normalweight aggregates in concrete production decreased the strength and stiffness due to the higher porosity and lower strength of the aggregate included in the concrete. However, permeability of sintered fly ash aggregate lightweight concretes was comparable and slightly lower than normalweight concrete whereas permeability of cold-bonded fly ash lightweight concrete was greater than the others. All concretes had a durability factor greater than 85, which met the requirements by showing quite perfect resistance to freeze–thaw.     

Recycled concrete made with different natural coarse aggregates exposed to high temperature

The recycled aggregates obtained from crushed waste concretes have different characteristics from those of natural aggregates. For that reason, the mixture proportions and the fresh and hardened properties of recycled concretes are different. The performance of recycled concrete exposed to high temperatures is not a very well-known subject since most studies have been conducted on conventional concretes. Recycled concretes with water/cement (w/c) ratios of 0.40 and 0.70, and made with three different types of natural coarse aggregate were exposed to 500 °C for 1 h. These concretes were evaluated by the ultrasonic method, resonance frequency, static modulus of elasticity and compressive strength, before and after heating, and compared with those obtained on similar conventional concretes containing the same type of natural coarse aggregate. The conventional and recycled concretes made with quartzitic coarse aggregate performed better after the heat treatment.     

Water absorption,permeability, and resistance to chloride-ion penetration of lightweight aggregate concrete

This paper presents an experimental study to evaluate effect of cumulative lightweight aggregate (LWA) content (including lightweight sand) in concrete [water/cement ratio (w/c) = 0.38] on its water absorption, water permeability, and resistance to chloride-ion penetration. Rapid chloride penetrability test (ASTM C 1202), rapid migration test (NT Build 492), and salt ponding test (AASHTO T 259) were conducted to evaluate the concrete resistance to chloride-ion penetration. The results were compared with those of a cement paste and a control normal weight aggregate concrete (NWAC) with the same w/c and a NWAC (w/c = 0.54) with 28-day compressive strength similar to some of the lightweight aggregate concrete (LWAC). Results indicate that although the total charge passed, migration coefficient, and diffusion coefficient of the LWAC were not significantly different from those of NWAC with the same w/c of 0.38, resistance of the LWAC to chloride penetration decreased with increase in the cumulative LWA content in the concretes. The water penetration depth under pressure and water sorptivity showed, in general, similar trends. The LWAC with only coarse LWA had similar water sorptivity, water permeability coefficient, and resistance to chloride-ion penetration compared to NWAC with similar w/c. The LWAC had lower water sorptivity, water permeability and higher resistance to chloride-ion penetration than the NWAC with similar 28-day strength but higher w/c. Both the NWAC and LWAC had lower sorptivity and higher resistance to chloride-ion penetration than the cement paste with similar w/c.     

Effect of expanded perlite on the mechanical properties and thermal conductivity of lightweight concrete

The main objective of this study is to provide more data on the effects of expanded perlite on the mechanical properties and thermal conductivity of lightweight concrete. In the experimental program, mixtures were prepared by partially replacing natural aggregate by expanded perlite and as a result, unit weights of lightweight concretes in fresh state varied between 700 and 2000 kg/m³. Water to cement ratio was kept constant in all mixtures. Compressive strength, modulus of elasticity, water absorption and capillarity coefficient of the mixtures were determined. Thermal conductivity of the specimens was also obtained. Test results show that the compressive strength and modulus of elasticity decreases with increasing in perlite content. Water absorption and sorptivity coefficient, however, increase with the higher perlite contents. The test results indicate that the thermal conductivity is substantially improved with the use of perlite and a strong relationship between thermal conductivity and unit weight is obtained.     

Modeling with ANN and effect of pumice aggregate and air entrainment on the freeze–thaw durabilities of HSC

The objective of this work is to calculate the compressive strength, ultrasound pulse velocity (UPV), relative dynamic modulus of elasticity (RDME) and porosity induced into concrete during freezing and thawing. Freeze–thaw durability of concrete is of great importance to hydraulic structures in cold areas. In this paper, freezing of pore solution in concrete exposed to a freeze–thaw cycle is studied by following the change of concrete some mechanical and physical properties with freezing temperatures. The effects of pumice aggregate (PA) ratios on the high strength concrete (HSC) properties were studied at 28 days. PA replacements of fine aggregate (0–2 mm) were used: 10%, 20%, and 30%. The properties examined included compressive strength, UPV and RDME properties of HSC. Results showed that compressive strength, UPV and RDME of samples were decreased with increase in PA ratios. Test results revealed that HSC was still durable after 100, 200 and 300 cycles of freezing and thawing in accordance with ASTM C666. After 300 cycles, HSC showed a reduction in compressive strength between 6% and 21%, and reduction in RDME up to 16%. For 300 cycles, the porosity was increased up to 12% for HSC with PA. In this paper, feed-forward artificial neural networks (ANNs) techniques are used to model the relative change in compressive strength and relative change in UPV in cyclic thermal loading. Then genetic algorithms are applied in order to determine optimum mix proportions subjected to 300 thermal cycling.     

Oil palm shell as a lightweight aggregate for production high strength lightweight concrete

In Malaysia, oil palm shell (OPS) is an agricultural solid waste originating from the palm oil industry. In this investigation old OPS was used for production of high strength lightweight concrete (HSLC). The density, air content, workability, cube compressive strength and water absorption were measured. The effect of five types of curing conditions on 28-day compressive strength was studied. The test results showed that by incorporating limestone powder and without it, it is possible to produce the OPS concretes with 28-day compressive strength of about 43–48 MPa and dry density of about 1870–1990 kg/m³. The compressive strength of OPS HSLC is sensitive to the lack of curing. The water absorption of these concretes is in the range of good concretes.     

Influence of mineral additions on the performance of 100% recycled aggregate concrete

A judicious use of resources, by using by-products and waste materials, and a lower environmental impact, by reducing carbon dioxide emission and virgin aggregate extraction, allow to approach sustainable building development. Recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) containing supplementary cementitious materials (SCM), if satisfactory concrete properties are achieved, can be an example of such sustainable construction materials.In this work concrete specimens were manufactured by completely replacing fine and coarse aggregates with recycled aggregates from a rubble recycling plant. Also RAC with fly ash (RA + FA) or silica fume (RA + SF) were studied.Concrete properties were evaluated by means of compressive strength and modulus of elasticity in the first experimental part. In the second experimental part, compressive and tensile splitting strength, dynamic modulus of elasticity, drying shrinkage, reinforcing bond strength, carbonation, chloride penetration were studied. Satisfactory concrete properties can be developed with recycled fine and coarse aggregates with proper selection and proportioning of the concrete materials.     

Mechanical properties of normal and high strength concretes subjected to high temperatures and using image analysis to detect bond deteriorations

The effect of high temperatures, up to 250 °C, on mechanical properties of normal and high strength concretes with and without silica fume was investigated, and image analysis was performed on split concrete surfaces to see the change in bond strength between aggregate and mortar. Specimens were heated up to elevated temperatures (50, 100, 150, 200, 250 °C) without loading and then the residual compressive and splitting tensile strength, as well as the static modulus of elasticity of the specimens were determined. For normal strength concrete residual mechanical properties started to decrease at 100 °C, while using silica fume reduced the losses at high temperatures. In terms of percent residual properties, high strength concrete specimens performed better than normal strength concrete specimens for all heating cycles. Image analysis studies on the split surfaces have been utilized to investigate the effect of high temperatures on the bond strength between aggregate and mortar. Image analysis results showed that reduced water–cement ratio and the use of silica fume improved the bond strength at room temperature, and created more stable bonding at elevated temperatures up to 250 °C.     

Characteristics of mortar and concrete containing fine aggregate manufactured from recycled waste polyethylene terephthalate bottles

This paper presents the development of lightweight aggregate concrete using fine aggregate that is manufactured from recycled waste polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles. Investigations on waste PET lightweight aggregate concrete included three phases: examination of the properties of waste PET lightweight aggregates (WPLA), analysis of the properties of mortar when WPLA was used as fine aggregate, and analysis of the properties of concrete when WPLA was used as fine aggregate. The results of the first phase showed that the WPLA had a density of 1390 kg/m³, a water absorption of 0% and a bulk density of 844 kg/m³. WPLA fineness modulus (F.M.), however, was 4.11, which is higher than the F.M. of river sand. This is because the WPLA was single graded. The results of the second phase showed that for the mortar, in which the WPLA was used as a fine aggregate, the flow value increased, while the compressive strength decreased proportionally to the addition of WPLA with elapsed time. In addition, the amount of water absorption by unit area was higher than for the control mortar (without WPLA) when the WPLA content was either 40% or 60%. For the third phase, the results showed that the slump of the WPLA concrete increased as the WPLA content increased regardless of the water-cement ratio (W/C). In comparison to the control concrete, the 28-day WPLA concrete compressive strength decreased by 5%, 15% and 30%, with an increase of WPLA content of 25%, 50% and 75%, respectively. In addition, for a W/C of 0.49, the structural efficiency (compressive strength/density ratio) of the concrete containing 25% of WPLA was higher than that for the control concrete.     

Influence of pozzolan from various by-product materials on mechanical properties of high-strength concrete

This paper presents experimentally investigated the effects of pozzolan made from various by-product materials on mechanical properties of high-strength concrete. Ground pulverized coal combustion fly ash (FA), ground fluidized bed combustion fly ash (FB), ground rice husk–bark ash (RHBA), and ground palm oil fuel ash (POFA) having median particle sizes less than 11 μm were used to partially replace Portland cement type I to cast high-strength concrete. The results suggest that concretes containing FA, FB, RHBA, and POFA can be used as pozzolanic materials in making high-strength concrete with 28-day compressive strengths higher than 80 MPa. After 7 days of curing, the concretes containing 10–40% FA or FB and 10–30% RHBA or POFA exhibited higher compressive strengths than that of the control concrete (CT). The use of FA, FB, RHBA, and POFA to partially replace Portland cement type I has no significant effect on the splitting tensile strength and modulus of elasticity as compared to control concrete or silica fume concretes. This results suggest that the by-products from industries can be used to substitute Portland cement to produce high-strength concrete without alteration the mechanical properties of concrete.     

Lightweight concretes of activated metakaolin-fly ash binders,with blast furnace slag aggregates

This work investigated geopolymeric lightweight concretes based on binders composed of metakaolin with 0% and 25% fly ash, activated with 15.2% of Na₂O using sodium silicate of modulus SiO₂/Na₂O = 1.2. Concretes of densities of 1200, 900 and 600 kg/m³ were obtained by aeration by adding aluminium powder, in some formulations lightweight aggregate of blast furnace slag was added at a ratio binder:aggregate 1:1; curing was carried out at 20 and 75 °C. The compressive and flexural strength development was monitored for up to 180 days. The strength diminished with the reduction of the density and high temperature curing accelerated strength development. The use of the slag had a positive effect on strength for 1200 kg/m³ concretes; reducing the amount of binder used. The thermal conductivity diminished from 1.65 to 0.47 W/mK for densities from 1800 to 600 kg/m³. The microstructures revealed dense cementitious matrices conformed of reaction products and unreacted metakaolin and fly ash. Energy dispersive spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction showed the formation of amorphous silicoaluminate reaction products.     

Strength and deformability of waste tyre rubber-filled reinforced concrete columns

This study aims to investigate the efficiency of waste tyre rubber-filled concrete to improve the deformability and energy absorption capacity of RC columns by considering different concrete compressive strength, size of waste tyre rubber particles and rubber content. Twelve column specimens were tested using concrete of compressive strength 24 and 28 MPa mixed with 0.6 and 1 mm tyre rubber particles. For each concrete batch, 27 control specimens were prepared to examine the concrete properties. Using waste tyre rubber-filled concrete leads to a slightly lower compressive strength and modulus of elasticity, but the curvature ductility can increase up to 90%. It is concluded that this type of concrete can offer good energy dissipation capacity and ductility, which makes it suitable for seismic applications.     

Influence of high temperature on the properties of concretes made with industrial by-products as fine aggregate replacement

Influence of high temperature on the properties of concrete containing non-ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GBFS) and coal bottom ash (BA) as fine aggregate was presented. Six series of concrete mixtures were prepared by partially replacing fine aggregate separately with GBFS and BA. Replacement percentages were between 10 and 50% with an increment of 10% by dry weight of fine aggregate. Then 0.2% polypropylene fibres (PP) were added to last three mixtures that has the same mixture with the first three series. The first series is control concrete, the second series contained GBFS and the third series contained BA. All the concrete specimens were exposed to 800 °C temperature at the age of 90 days. Tests were conducted to determine loss in weight, compressive strength, and dynamic modulus of elasticity. Also surface crack observations were conducted with microscope. Test results showed that it is possible to partially replace fine aggregate with GBFS or BA even if such concretes were to be subjected to high temperature response. Performance of BA concrete was found to be better than GBFS as replacement material.     

Mechanical and durability properties of concrete made with dredged marine sand

The process of depletion of sources of natural aggregates challenges the production of technically and environmentally adequate concrete. Alternative material from marine sources, especially for concrete maritime structures, could represent an acceptable solution for this problem and it might also be of great interest for port management. This research work describes the study of the mechanical and durability properties of concretes fabricated with dredged marine sand (DMS) as a fine granular corrector in partial substitution of raw sand (from 15% to up to 50% by raw sand mass) designed for harbor pavements. Three DMS samples were extracted from the Port of Barcelona. The material was stockpiled in the open air and no washing, drying or decontamination process was carried out. Mineralogical, physical and chemical properties of DMS material were determined. Eight different mixtures were produced incorporating three types of DMS material as granular corrector in partial substitution of crushed limestone raw sand. The concretes were submitted to compressive strength tests after 7 and 28 days of moist curing, as well as density, absorption, accessible pores, elastic modulus, tensile and splitting tensile strength, abrasion, capillary suction, water penetration under pressure and ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) tests, all of them after 28 days of moist curing. This study shows that dredged marine sand can be successfully used as a fine aggregate for concrete production. This is justified by the similar physical and mechanical properties of concrete made with DMS comparing to reference concrete. It was verified that the use of DMS in substitution of raw sand maintained or reduced the accessible pores, the sorptivity and the water penetration depth under pressure.     

Mechanical and elastic behaviour of concretes made of recycled-concrete coarse aggregates

In this paper an investigation of mechanical behaviour and elastic properties of recycled-aggregate concretes is presented. These concretes were prepared by alternatively using two different (coarse and finer coarse) recycled-aggregate fractions both made of recycled concrete coming from a recycling plant in which rubble from demolition is collected and suitably treated. Several concrete mixtures were prepared by using only virgin aggregates (as reference), 30% finer coarse recycled aggregate replacing fine gravel and 30% coarse recycled aggregate replacing gravel. Five different water to cement ratios were adopted as: 0.40, 0.45, 0.50, 0.55 and 0.60. Concrete workability was in the slump range of 190–200 mm. Compression tests were carried out after 28 days of wet curing. In addition, concrete elastic modulus and drying shrinkage were evaluated. Results obtained showed that structural concrete up to C32/40 strength class can be manufactured by replacing 30% virgin aggregate with recycled-concrete aggregate. Moreover, a correlation between elastic modulus and compressive strength of recycled-aggregate concrete was found and compared to those reported in the literature. Finally, on the basis of drying shrinkage results, particularly if finer coarse recycled-concrete aggregate is added to the mixture, lower strains could be detected especially for earlier curing time.     

Properties of EPS RHA lightweight concrete bricks under different curing conditions

The depletion of non-renewable resources has become an alarming issue nowadays. Many environmentalists and researchers have been investigating the use of waste materials as a renewable resource for use especially as raw materials in construction. This paper reports on the potential use of waste rice husk ash (RHA) and expanded polystyrene (EPS) beads in producing lightweight concrete bricks. The RHA was used as a cementitious material since it is a lightweight reactive pozzolanic material. RHA was used as partial cement replacement, while the EPS was used as partial aggregate replacement in the mixes. Bricks of 215 mm × 102.5 mm × 65 mm in size were prepared in this study. The engineering properties of the bricks were investigated. Among the properties studied were hardened concrete density, compressive strength and water absorption of the EPS RHA concrete bricks. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis was also performed on the brick samples. Four types of curing conditions were employed in this study. These include full water curing, air dry curing, 3-day curing and 7-day curing. It was found that the properties of the bricks are mainly influenced by the content of EPS and RHA in the mix and also the curing condition used.     

Durability design and performance of self-consolidating lightweight concrete

In terms of the durability, the reduction in cement paste is crucial to both volume stability and long-term performance of concrete. The objective of this paper is to compare the performance of lightweight concrete under different w/cm ratio and different cement paste content. The slump and slump flow spread of fresh self-consolidating lightweight concrete (SCLWC) are designed to be within 230–270 and 550–650 mm, respectively. The test results indicate that the 91-day compressive strength of SCLWC is up to 56 MPa when cement content is 386 kg/m³ and water content is 150 kg/m³. If enough cement paste is used, then the less the paste amount and the denser the packing of aggregate, the higher the strength efficiency of cement and the electric resistance, and the lower the chloride ion penetrability capacity of SCLWC.     

Performance of thermally damaged fibre reinforced concretes

Mechanical characteristics of Fibre Reinforced High Performance Concrete (FR-HPC) subjected to high temperatures were experimentally investigated in this paper. Three different concretes were prepared: a normal strength concrete (NSC) and two High Performance Concretes (HPC1 and HPC2). Fibre reinforced concretes were produced by addition of steel or polypropylene fibres in the above mixtures at dosages of 40 kg/m³ and 5 kg/m³, respectively. A total of nine concrete mixtures were produced and fibres were added in six of them. At the age of 120 days specimens were heated to maximum temperatures of 100, 300, 500 and 700 °C. Specimens were then allowed to cool in the furnace and tested for compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, modulus of elasticity and ultrasonic pulse velocity. Reference tests were also performed at air temperature (20 °C). Residual strength of NSC and HPC1 was reduced almost linearly up to 700 °C and 500 °C, respectively whereas the residual strength of HPC2 was sharply reduced up to 300 °C. Explosive spalling was observed on both HPC. Addition of steel fibres increased the residual strength up to 300 °C, but spalling still occurred in HPC1 and HPC2. Such an explosive behavior was not observed when polypropylene fibres were added in the mixtures; however, in this case the residual mechanical characteristics of all concretes were significantly reduced.     

Lightweight concrete made from oil palm shell (OPS): Structural bond and durability properties

The first part of this experimental program was to determine the structural bond properties of lightweight concrete incorporating solid waste oil palm shell (OPS) as coarse aggregate and also to compare its behaviour with other types of lightweight aggregate concretes. Other properties of OPS concrete namely the split tensile strength, modulus of rupture and modulus of elasticity were also determined. The structural bond properties were determined through pull-out test. The results showed that the experimental bond strength of OPS concrete was much higher than the design bond strength as stipulated by BS 8110. In general, the properties of OPS concrete compared well with that of other structural lightweight concretes and the results obtained encourage the use of OPS as aggregates for the production of structural lightweight concrete. The second part of the experimental program investigates the durability performance of OPS concrete through water permeability and water absorption tests.     

Comparison on efficiency factors of F and C types of fly ashes

Fly ashes are obtained from thermal power plants and they are pozzolanic materials, which can act as partial replacement material for both portland cement and fine aggregate. With their economical advantages and potential for improving fresh and hardened concrete performance, they have some benefits for using in concrete industry. In this study, the objective was to find the efficiency factors of Turkish C and F-type fly ashes and to compare their properties. Three different cement dosages were used (260, 320, 400 kg/m³), two different ratios (10% and 17%) of cement reduced from the control concretes and three different ratios (depending on cement reduction ratio) of fly ash were added into the mixtures. At the ages of 28 and 90 days, compressive strength, modulus of elasticity and ultrasound velocity tests were carried out. From the compressive strength results, the k efficiency factors of C and F-type fly ashes were obtained. As a result, it is seen that efficiency factors of the concrete produced by the replacement of F and C type fly ashes with cement increase with the increase in cement dosage and concrete age.