VISVESVARAYA TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY

JNANA SANGAMA, BELAGAVI - 590 018

A SEMINAR REPORT
on
“SPECIAL CONCRETE-LIGHTWEIGHT CONCRETE"
Submitted by
Asil Khader 4SF19CV012
In partial fulfilment of the requirements for the VIII Semester of
BACHELOR OF ENGINEERING
in
CIVIL ENGINEERING

Under the Guidance of

Prof. HEMANTHA PRABHU B

Assistant Professor
Department of Civil Engineering

at

SAHYADRI
College of Engineering & Management
Adyar, Mangaluru – 575 007
2022-23
 SAHYADRI
College of Engineering & Management
Mangaluru

CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the seminar entitled “SPECIAL CONCRETE-LIGHTWEIGHT

CONCRETE" has been successfully presented by Asil Khader of 4SF19CV012, and
bonafide student of Sahyadri College of Engineering & Management, Mangaluru. in
partial fulfilment for the VIII semester of Bachelor of Engineering in Civil Engineering
of Visvesvaraya Technological University, Belagavi during the academic year 2022 –
23. The seminar report has been approved as it satisfies the academic requirements as
per university guidelines.

Seminar Guide Seminar Coordinator HoD

Prof. Hemantha Prabhu B Ms. Ramya K Prof. Hemantha Prabhu B
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I extend our sense of gratitude to Dr. Rajesha S, Principal, Dr. D.L Prabhakar, Director,
and Dr. Manjunath Bhandary, Chairman, for extending support and co-operation which
helped in completion of the Technical seminar.

I are indebted to Prof. Hemantha Prabhu B, Professor and Head of the Department for
providing all the necessary facilities and for his constant support for the successful
completion of the Technical seminar.

I take this opportunity to express our gratitude and profound thanks to our guide, Prof.
Hemantha Prabhu B, Head of Department, Department of Civil Engineering, for his
invaluable help and constant support for the successful completion of the Technical
Seminar.

I express our heartfelt gratitude to the Technical seminar Mrs. Ramya K, Assistant
Professor, Civil Engineering Department who has extended his wholehearted support,
guidance and assistance for the successful completion of the Technical seminar.

I heartily thank all the lecturers and staff of the Department of Civil Engineering, for
their advice, kind co-operation and help during the development of this Technical
seminar 1. We also thank all laboratory administrators and assistants who have helped us
in making this a successful one.

ASIL KHADER

4SF19CV012
 ABSTRACT

Lightweight concrete can be defined as a type of concrete which includes an expanding agent in
that it increases the volume of the mixture while giving additional qualities such as nailbility and
lessened the dead weight. It is lighter than the conventional concrete. The use of lightweight
concrete has been widely spread across countries such as USA, United Kingdom and Sweden. The
main specialties of lightweight concrete are its low density and thermal conductivity. Its
advantages are that there is a reduction of dead load, faster building rates in construction and lower
haulage and handling costs. Lightweight concrete maintains its large voids and not forming
laitance layers or cement films when placed on the wall. This research was based on the
performance of aerated lightweight concrete. However, sufficient water cement ratio is vital to
produce adequate cohesion between cement and water. Insufficient water can cause lack of
cohesion between particles, thus loss in strength of concrete. Likewise, too much water can cause
cement to run off aggregate to form laitance layers, subsequently weakens in strength. Therefore,
this fundamental research report is prepared to show activities and progress of the lightweight
concrete. Focused were on the performance of aerated lightweight concrete such as compressive
strength tests, water absorption and density and supplementary tests and comparisons made with
other types of lightweight concrete.
 Table of Contents
CHAPTER-1 1
INTRODUCTION 1
1.1 GENERAL 1
1.2 BASIC CHARACTERS 2
1.3 HISTORY OF LIGHTWEIGHT CONCRETE 4

CHAPTER-2 6
LITERATURE REVIEW 6
1. Pragati J, Mayuri R & Sheikh Shahebaz Sheikh Murtuja (2020) 6
2. A S Banawair, G.M Qaid & Z.M. Adil (2017) 6
3. Abhijit Mandlik, Tarun Sarthak Sood & Shekhar Karade (2013) 6
4. Karl-Christian Thienel, Timo Haller & Nancy Beuntner (2020) 7
5. Abdulkadir Kan & Ramazan Demirboga (2009) 7

CHAPTER-3 8
LIGHTWEIGHT CONCRETE 8
3.1 PRINCIPLES BEHIND LWC 8
3.2 TYPES OF LWC 8
3.3 CLASSIFICATION OF LWC 11
3.4 APPLICATIONS OF LWC 11
3.5 ADVANTAGES 12
3.6 DISADVANTAGES 13
3.7 THE USE OF LWC 13
3.8 NEW OPPURTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES 13

CHAPTER-4 15
METHODOLOGY 15

CHAPTER-5 17
CASESTUDY 17

CHAPTER-6 19
CONCLUSION 19

REFERENCES 20
 LIST OF FIGURES

Fig No. Description Page No.

1.1 Wet (Uncompleted) Lightweight concrete at Thien Nam 1

Phuong Ltd
1.2 Lghtweight Concrete 3

1.3 The Roman Temple Constructed using LWAC 4

1.4 Pont du Gard built by romans (2000 years ago) 4

5.1 The Pantheon 15

5.2 Pumice 16
LIGHTWEIGHT CONCRETE 2023

CHAPTER-1

1.1 GENERAL INTRODUCTION

Lightweight concrete as known as AAC (Autoclaved Aerated Concrete) is a well-
known constructing material all over the world; it was first invented by a Swedish Architect named
Johan Axel Eriksson in 1923.Lightweight concrete contains no aggregate larger than sand, lime,
thermal ash, synthetic fiber, cement, aluminum powder and water as binding agent. When AAC is
mixed and cast in forms, several chemical reactions take place that give AAC its light weight (20%
of the weight of concrete) and thermal properties. Therefore, lightweight concrete is quite light and
may suffer extreme pressure as well as insulate the high and low temperatures.

Fig 1: Wet (Uncompleted) Lightweight concrete at Thien Nam Phuong Ltd

In Japan, lightweight concrete is used to support the building foundation against the
earthquakes. Lightweight concrete technology is quite friendly with the environment by reducing
five times the amount of carbon dioxide of the production from the raw material process till the
recycle wastes process.

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Since the born of lightweight concrete in building industry, baked bricks (made from
natural clays) in developed countries are banded to protect the environment and national resources.
On the other hand, lightweight concrete with the gas bubble’s structure (up to ⅛ inch in diameter)
is applied popularly by developed countries with high technologies such as United States of
America, Germany, France, Japan, etc. in handling multiple geography technical issues such as
making the foundation for highways, anti-slip subsidence in the mountainous areas or weak land
areas to bring back huge economic benefits.
Because of its advantages, lightweight has taken an important part of developed countries
such as Europe, North America, and North Asia as well as the attention of some developing
countries in replacing its traditional building material which is red brick, regular concrete and clay
block.

1.2 BASIC CHARACTERS

Lightweight concrete, similar to normal weight concrete, is a mixture of water, Portland

cement or Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC), and aggregate. It is classified as structural or
nonstructural concrete depending on strength and compression rating, generally determined by the
type of aggregate material used in the concrete mix. Lightweight aggregate concrete uses a variety
of aggregates with lower density than normal weight concrete.

Structural concrete, whether an approved lightweight or a normal weight concrete, is used

for applications calling for a high level of strength and compression rating. These might be
highway overpasses, bridges, high-rise buildings, and construction in areas prone to earthquakes.
Advantages of structural lightweight aggregate concrete with a correspondingly reduced weight
load include reduced dead loads, or weight of the structures it's used to build, and more efficient
transport.

While not approved for many structural applications, nonstructural lightweight concrete is
used where normal or a more dense structural lightweight mix would be impractical. Roof tiles
made of lightweight concrete are lighter and require less robust truss systems. The combination of
strength, weather resistance, and reduced weight often makes lightweight aggregate concrete mix
and lightweight blocks a good choice for non-traditional residential buildings

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Aggregates used to make lightweight aggregate concrete vary. Expanded shale, slate, and
clay, often fired in a kiln to increase porosity, are among aggregates used for structural lightweight
concrete. Other porous material, such as air-cooled blast furnace slag, is often used.

Insulation is often a factor in selecting an aggregate for nonstructural lightweight concrete.

A lightweight aerated concrete may be used to make both lightweight panels and lightweight
blocks suitable for a variety of construction, including some foundation stem walls. Lightweight
aerated concrete may be made in a variety of ways, such as forcing air into slurry of OPC and a
porous material, or by using a stable foam product as an aggregate.
Perlite and vermiculite are natural minerals that, when heat-treated, can be mixed with OPS
to produce a nonstructural lightweight aggregate concrete. The product is often used for decorative
concrete treatments, roof tiles, and other lightweight applications. This lightweight concrete is
often used in jobs requiring insulation from heat and sound.
Structural lightweight aggregate concrete might typically require a density or unit weight
of 90 to 115 lb/ft³ or (1440 to 1840 kg/m³) and a compression rating of 2500 psi or (1700 MPa),
which is about 65% of the density or unit weight of normal concrete. Nonstructural lightweight
concrete might have a density or unit weight as low as 35 lb/ft³ or (561 kg/m³). When considering
lightweight concrete for a construction job, it is generally a good practice to consult a qualified
engineer or architect for specifications.

Fig 1.2: Lghtweight Concrete

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1.3 HISTORY OF LIGHTWEIGHT CONCRETE

The use of lightweight (LWAC) can be traced to as early as 3,000BC, when Mohenjo-Daro
and Harappa were built during the Indus Valley civilization. In Europe, the use of LWCA occurred
2,000 years ago when the Romans built Pantheon, the aqua ducts, and the Coliseum in Rome. The
pumice is still used today in certain countries, such as Germany, Italy and Japan. In some places
like Malaysia, palm oil shells are used for making LWAC.

Fig 1.3: The Roman Temple Constructed using LWAC

Earlier lightweight aggregates (LWAs) were of natural origin, mostly volcanic: pumice,
tuff. They function as active pozzolanic materials when used when used as fine aggregates.
Techniques have been developed to produce them in factories. These are produced from the
natural raw materials like expanded clay, shale, slate, etc., as well as from by-products such as fly
ash, blast furnace slag, etc.

Fig 1.4: Pont du Gard built by romans (2000 years ago)

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Today, lightweight aggregates are produced in a very wide range of densities varying from
50kg/m3 from expanded perlite to 1000kg/m3 for clinkers. It is possible to make LWAC of 80Mpa
compressive strength
Nearly all LWACs are fire resistant. In addition, depending upon the densities and strength, the
concrete can be easily cut, nailed, drilled, and chased with ordinary wood working tools.

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CHAPTER-2

LITERATURE REVIEW

1. Pragati J, Mayuri R & Sheikh Shahebaz Sheikh Murtuja (2020)

The initial findings have shown that the lightweight concrete has a desirable strength to be an
alternative construction material for the industrialized building system. The strength of aerated
lightweight concrete is low for lower density mixture. This resulted in the increment of voids
throughout the sample caused by the foam. Thus, the decrease in the compressive strength of the
concrete. The foamed lightweight concrete is not suitable to be used as non-load bearing wall as
the compressive strength is 27% less than recommended.

2. A S Banawair, G.M Qaid & Z.M. Adil (2017)

Researches have been reviewed on using various type of lightweight aggregate with different
objectives to produce lightweight concrete that have similar physical and mechanical properties to
normal concrete. In the case of LECA, it is found that LECA is suitable to be used in structural
elements due to its properties, which is lightweight and acceptable strength compared to other type
of lightweight aggregate. It reduces the density of concrete, which is beneficial for lightweight
structural. It is known that lightweight aggregate concrete is not as strong as normal concrete,
however, flexural strength of LECA concrete is clearly strong compared to concrete produced of
normal weight concrete elements.

3. Abhijit Mandlik, Tarun Sarthak Sood & Shekhar Karade (2013)

Hereby, we have observed that cost of EPS is less compared to that of normal concrete. Increase in
the EPS beads content in concrete mixes reduces the compressive and tensile strength of concrete.
All the EPS concrete without any special bonding agent show good workability and could easily
be compacted and finished. The replacement by using EPS has shown a positive application as an
alternate material in building non-structural members, and it also serves as a solution for EPS
disposal. Obtained results suggest that expanded polystyrene concrete has scope for non-structural
applications, like wall panels, partition walls, etc. References

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LIGHTWEIGHT CONCRETE 2023

4. Karl-Christian Thienel, Timo Haller & Nancy Beuntner (2020)

Lightweight concrete is an extremely versatile material, which can be used for a wide range of
applications. Although lightweight concrete has been in use for two millennia, there are still
uncertainties, which were addressed in this review paper. Clear definitions were given for the
different types of lightweight concrete and information was provided about crucial topics
regarding lightweight aggregate properties as well as mix design, testing and classification of
structural lightweight concrete. Several issues represent key information in the state-of-the-art of
lightweight concrete.

5. Abdulkadir Kan & Ramazan Demirboga (2009)

The aim of this study was to evaluate the usability of MEPS as an aggregate for concrete and other
secondary construction materials. A basic experimental study on the physical and mechanical
properties of concretes containing MEPS as an aggregate provided the following results. All the
MEPS concretes without any special bonding agents show good workability and could be easily
compacted and finished except for mixture C1. Experience with MEPS aggregate concrete
indicated that care must be exercised while mixing, pouring and compacting the fresh concrete to
minimize segregation of the concrete mixture.

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CHAPTER-3
LIGHTWEIGHT CONCRETE

3.1 PRINCIPLES BEHIND LWC

The basic principle behind the making of lightweight concrete is by inducing the air in concrete

To achieve the above principle practically, there are 3 different ways:

🠶 By replacing the conventional aggregates by cellular porous aggregates (lightweight
agg. Concrete).
🠶 By incorporating the air or gas bubbles in concrete (Aerated Concrete).
🠶 By omitting the sand from the concrete (No-fines Concrete).

3.2 TYPES OF LWC

3.2.1 LWA CONCRETE
In the early 1950s, the use of lightweight concrete blocks was accepted in the UK for load bearing
inner leaf of cavity walls. Soon thereafter the development and production of new types of
artificial LWA (Lightweight aggregate) made it possible to introduce LWC of high strength,
suitable for structural work. These advances encouraged the structural use of LWA concrete,
particularly where the need to reduce weight in a structure was in a structure was an important
consideration for design or for economy.

Listed below are several types of LWA suitable for structural reinforced concrete: -

i. Pumice – is used for reinforced concrete roof slab, mainly for industrial roofs in Germany.

ii. Foamed Slag – was the first LWA suitable for reinforced concrete that was produced in large
quantity in the UK.

iii. Expanded Clays and Shales – capable of achieving sufficiently high strength for prestressed
concrete. Well established under the trade names of Aglite and Leca (UK), Haydite, Rocklite,
Gravelite and Aglite (USA).

iv. Sintered Pulverized – fuel ash aggregate – is being used in the UK for a variety of structural
purposes and is being marketed under the trade name Lytag.

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3.2.2 AERATED CONCRETE

Concrete of this type has the lowest density, thermal conductivity and strength. Like timber it can
be sawn, screwed and nailed, but there are non-combustible. For works insitu the usual methods of
aeration are by mixing in stabilized foam or by whipping air in with the aid of an air entraining
agent. The precast products are usually made by the addition of about 0.2 percent aluminums
powder to the mix which reacts with alkaline substances in the binder forming hydrogen bubbles.
Air-cured aerated concrete is used where little strength is required e.g., roof screeds and pipe
lagging. Full strength development depends upon the reaction of lime with the siliceous
aggregates, and for the equal densities the strength of high pressure steam cured concrete is about
twice that of air-cured concrete, and shrinkage is only one third or less.

Aerated concrete is a lightweight, cellular material consisting of cement and/or lime and sand or
other silicious material. It is made by either a physical or a chemical process during which either
air or gas is introduced into a slurry, which generally contains no coarse material. Aerated concrete
used as a structural material is usually high-pressure steam-cured. It is thus factory-made and
available to the user in precast units only, for floors, walls and roofs. Blocks for laying in mortar
or glue are manufactured without any reinforcement. Larger units are reinforced with steel bars to
resist damage through transport, handling and superimposed loads. Autoclaved aerated concrete,
which was originally developed in Sweden in 1929, is now manufactured all over the world.

3.2.3 NO-FINES CONCRETE

The term no-fines concrete generally means concrete composed of cement and a coarse (9-19mm)
aggregate only (at least 95 percent should pass the 20mm BS sieve, not more than 10 percent
should pass the 10mm BS sieve and nothing should pass the 5mm BS sieve), and the product so
formed has many uniformly distributed voids throughout its mass. No-fines concrete is mainly
used for load bearing, cast in situ external and internal wall, non load bearing wall and under floor
filling for solid ground floors (CP III: 1970, BSI). No-fines concrete was introduced into the UK in
1923, when 50 houses were built in Edinburgh, followed a few years later by 800 in Liverpool,
Manchester and London.
This description is applied to concrete which contain only a single size 10mm to 20mm coarse
aggregate (either a dense aggregate or a light weight aggregate such as sintered PFA). The density
is about two-third or three quarters that of dense concrete made with the same aggregates. No-fines
concrete is almost always cast in situ mainly as load bearing and non load bearing walls including

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LIGHTWEIGHT CONCRETE 2023

in filling walls, in framed structures, but sometimes as filling below solids ground floors and for
roof screeds.
No-fines concrete is thus an agglomeration of coarse aggregate particles, each surrounded by a
coating of cement paste up to about 1·3 mm (0·05 in.) thick. There exist, therefore, large pores
within the body of the concrete which are responsible for its low strength, but their large size
means that no capillary movement of water can take place. Although the strength of no-fines
concrete is considerably lower than that of normal-weight concrete, this strength, coupled with the
lower dead load of the structure, is sufficient in buildings up to about 20 storeys high and in many
other applications.
An emerging start-up called Pavegen has installed such squares of energy- generating pavement in
London. In an effort to keep the production of the pavement as green and sustainable as possible,
Pavegen partnered with Ryburn Rubber Limited and Advanced LEDs (which has also invested in
the idea) to make sure that its components create as small an environmental impact as possible.
The average square of pavement produces about 2.1 watts of electricity. And according to
Pavegen, any one square of pavement in a high-foot traffic area can see 50,000 steps a day. Based
on this data, only five units of Pavegen pavement can be enough to keep the lights on at a bus stop
all night. And while the power producing platform is over crowded with moving population,
energy is produced at larger levels. Pavegen isn’t targeting its product exclusively at
municipalities. One of its big ideas is to have stores located on busy sidewalks install them in front
of their locations to power their signage or any internal electronics. To encourage this adoption, the
company says it will brand its slabs for its commercial customers. The slabs installed in East
London happen to be green (thus suggesting its clean-tech solution) but they come in a variety of
colours. The company believes the embedded lamp is important to inform passer-by of their
contribution to the clean energy movement.
An emerging technology in the industry is the footfall energy harvesting floor, which generates
energy from the routine human activities, such as walking, running, jumping, dancing etc. The
technology works on the basic principle of converting kinetic energy, obtained from the pressure
applied on the floor surface, into electrical energy. The “footfall energy harvesting floor”
comprises a floor covering that encloses a transducer mechanism for converting the applied
pressure into electrical energy and a means for transmitting the electrical energy for storage or load
consumption. Among the other technologies that promote sustainable energy, energy harvesting
floor is considered to be the most productive as it does not depend on any of the natural resources,
such as wind, water or sun that are not consistently available. Energy harvesting floors, which take
input from human footsteps without affecting pedestrians’ normal life, are easy to install,

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LIGHTWEIGHT CONCRETE 2023

environment friendly, and are truly sustainable.

3.3 CLASSIFICATION OF LWC

It is convenient to classify the various types of lightweight concrete by their method of production.
These are:

1. By using porous lightweight aggregate of low apparent specific gravity, i.e. lower than 2.6.
This type of concrete is known as lightweight aggregate concrete.
2. By introducing large voids within the concrete or mortar mass; these voids should be
clearly distinguished from the extremely fine voids produced by air entrainment. This type
of concrete is variously knows as aerated, cellular, foamed or gas concrete.
3. By omitting the fine aggregate from the mix so that a large number of interstitial voids is
present; normal weight coarse aggregate is generally used. This concrete as no-fines
concrete.

LWC can also be classified according to the purpose for which it is to be used: it can distinguish
between structural lightweight concrete (ASTM C 330-82a), concrete used in masonry units
(ASTM C 331-81), and insulating concrete (ASTM C 332-83). This classification of structural
lightweight concrete is based on a minimum strength: according to ASTM C 330-82a, the 28-day
cylinder compressive strength should not be less than 17 MPa (2500 psi). The density (unit
weight) of such concrete (determined in the dry state) should not exceed 1840 kg/m³ (115 lb/ft³),
and is usually between 1400 and 1800 kg/m³ (85 and 110 lb/ft³). On the other hand, masonry
concrete generally has a density between 500 and 800 kg/m³ (30 and 50 lb/ft³) and a strength
between 7 and 14 MPa (1000 and 2000 psi).

3.4 APPLICATIONS OF LIGHTWEIGHT CONCRETE

Light weight concrete can be used as follows:

1. As Load bearing masonry walls using cellular concrete blocks.

2. As precast floor and roof panels in all types of buildings.

3. As partition walls in all types of buildings as residential, industrial and institutional

buildings.

4. As insulating materials to exterior walls in all types of buildings, especially in office and
industrial buildings.

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LIGHTWEIGHT CONCRETE 2023

5. As a filler in the form of precast reinforced wall panels in multistoried buildings.

6. As precast composite floor or wall panels etc.

3.5 ADVANTAGES

Following are the advantages of light-weight-concrete:

 Light weight concrete reduces the dead load of the structure.

 It increases the progress of construction of the structure.

 It lowers the haulage and handling charges.

 The weight of structure on the foundation is an important factor in design, especially

in the case of multi-story buildings and in weak soils. Heavier the dead load, deeper
and thicker the foundations involving higher cost.

 In framed structures, columns and beams have to carry loads of walls and floors. If
walls and floor are made of light weight concrete, the foundations also will be lighter,
resulting in considerable economy in the construction.

 The thermal conductivity of light weight concrete is relatively low, which dampens the
heat transfer from roof and walls, resulting lower inside temperature of the building.
This lower temperature provides comfort to the inhabitants. The thermal conductivity
improves with decrease in density.

 In case of buildings where air conditioning is to be installed, the use of light weight
concrete has been found advantageous from the point of view of thermal comfort and
lower consumption of power.

 Easy to handle and hence reduces the cost of transportation and handling.

 Improve the workability.

 Relatively low thermal conductivity.

 Comparatively more durable.

 Good resistance to freezing & thawing action when compared to conventional concrete

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3.6 DISADVANTAGES

 Very sensitive with water content in the mixtures

 Difficult to place and finish because of the porosity and angularity of the aggregate. In
some mixes the cement mortar may separate the aggregate and float towards the surface
 Mixing time is longer than conventional concrete to assure proper mixing
 Lightweight concrete are porous and shows poor resistance

3.7 THE USE OF LWC

 Screeds and thickening for general purposes especially when such screeds or thickening
and weight to floors roofs and other structural members.
 Screeds and walls where timber has to be attached by nailing.
 Casting structural steel to protect it against fire and corrosion or as a covering for
architectural purposes.
 Heat insulation on roofs.
 Insulating water pipes.
 Construction of partition walls and panel walls in frame structures.
 Fixing bricks to receive nails from joinery, principally in domestic or domestic type
construction.
 General insulative walls.
 Surface rendered for external walls of small houses.

3.8 NEW OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES

When constructing buildings, especially high-rise building, the investor always tries to make the
structures sustainable and cost-effective. The way to acquire both of these two depends mostly on
the foundation of the building. However, the foundation depends on the geology and the total mass
of the whole project. Changing the geology is difficult, more feasible is to find ways to reduce the
loading capacity. Hence, the birth of light weight brick is considered as a revolution for the
construction industry. Light weight bricks are made from cement; thermal ash, synthetic fibers
(possible) and foaming agent to make the composition inside possess chambers forming as a
honeycomb. This helps the brick become porous and reduce the weight of brick from 600 kg/m3 to

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LIGHTWEIGHT CONCRETE 2023

900kg/m3 (D600 - D900) as ½ lighter than common brick, and easier to drill, cut or nail directly
onto the tile surface. The brick can even float on water.
There are various kinds and sizes of lightweight concrete to be used widely from small
projects to high rise buildings. The costs also suit each project. Lightweight concrete is a great
construction material. It is not only low derivative, high thermal resistant, environmental protected
but also energy-cost saving compared to traditional materials. Producing traditional materials
waste industrial land, coal and in the same time, causes greenhouse effect by eliminating millions
tons of CO2. Conversely, lightweight concrete limits environmental bad impacts and recycles a
significant amount of industrial waste, turning waste into useful materials.
Due to its benefits, lightweight concrete has become the general trend of the world. In
China, the new type of building materials accounts for more than 55% in 2010. In Brit-ain,
lightweight concrete is about 70%

of the total building materials. With the global trend, Vietnam Government is trying to take full
advantage of lightweight concrete as well by approving the Decision No. 121/2008/QD-TTg dated
29/08/2008 of the Prime Minister. The Decision shows the master plan and route for developing
materials in Vietnam till 2020: lightweight concrete in 2010 will account for 10% to 15% and in-
crease from 20% to 25% in 2015 and in 2020 the rate will reach 30% to 40%. Under-standing the
great opportunity, Thien Nam Phuong Co., Ltd is established to manufacturer lightweight concrete
with development objective not only to cover South Market of Vietnam but also the whole
domestic market and export to other countries in the near future. The company’s goal is to produce
and sell 150,000 m3 / year. Although using lightweight concrete provides much economical and
technical efficiency, there are still a lot of challenges that Government and manufacturer have to
confront.

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CHAPTER-4
METHODOLOGY

 TESTING PROGRAM OF LIGHTWEIGHT CONCRETE:

In order to study the behavior of lightweight concrete, normal concrete testing was done to
determine the material and structural properties of each type of lightweight concrete and how will
these properties differ according to a different type of mixture and its composition. Once concrete
has hardened it can be subjected to a wide range of tests to prove its ability to perform as planned
or to discover its characteristics. For new concrete this usually involves casting specimens from
fresh concrete and testing them for various properties as the concrete matures.

 COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH:

Compressive strength is the primary physical property of concrete (others are generally defined
from it), and is the one most used in design. It is one of the fundamental properties used for
quality control for lightweight concrete. Compressive strength may be defined as the measured
maximum resistance of a concrete specimen to axial loading. It is found by measuring the highest
compression stress that a test cylinder or cube will support. There are three type of test that can be
use to determine compressive strength; cube, cylinder, or prism test. The ‘concrete cube test' is
the most familiar test and is used as the standard method of measuring compressive strength for
quality control purposes (Neville, 1994). Please refer appendix 1 for details. 11

 WATER ABSORPTION:

These properties are particularly important in concrete, as well as being important for durability.
(J.H Bungey, 1996). It can be used to predict concrete durability to resist corrosion. Absorption
capacity is a measure of the porosity of an aggregates; it is also used as a correlation factor in
determination of free moisture by oven-drying method (G.E Troxell, 1956). The absorption
capacity is determined by finding the weight of surface-dry sample after it has been soaked for 24
hr and again finding the weight after the sample has been dried in an oven; the difference in
weight, expressed as a percentage of the dry sample weight, is the absorption capacity (G.E
Troxell, 1956). Absorption capacity can be determine using BS absorption test. The test is
intended as a durability quality control check and the specified age is 28-32 days (S.G Millard).
Test procedure as been describe by BS 1881: Part 122 is as listed in the appendix 2.

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 DENSITY:

The density of both fresh and hardened concrete is of interest to the parties involved for numerous
reasons including its effect on durability, strength and resistance to permeability. Hardened
concrete density is determined either by simple dimensional checks, followed by weighing and
calculation or by weight in air/water buoyancy methods (ELE International, 1993). To determine
the density of lightweight concrete sample, the simple method is preferred as listed in the
appendix 3.

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CHAPTER-5
CASE STUDY

Pantheon, Rome

This famous building stands in the business district of Rome--much as it was built some 18
centuries ago. The Pantheon has been constructed using pumice, the most common type of
aggregate used in that particular year. From there on, the use of lightweight concrete has been
widely spread across other countries such as USA, United Kingdom and Sweden. The main
specialties of lightweight concrete are its low density and thermal conductivity. Its advantages are
that there is a reduction of dead load, faster building rates in construction and lower haulage and
handling costs. The building of ‘The Pantheon’ of lightweight concrete material is still standing
eminently in Rome until now for about 18 centuries as shown in Figure. it shows that the lighter
materials can be used in concrete construction and has an economical advantage.

Fig 5.1: The Pantheon

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Pumice:
Pumice is pyroclastic igneous rock that was almost completely
liquid at the moment of effusion and was so rapidly cooled that
there was no time for it to crystallize.

Fig 5.2: pumice

Application of LWC in Pantheon:

• The application on the ‘The Pantheon’ where it uses pumice aggregate in the

construction of cast in-situ concrete is the proof of its usage.

• lightweight concrete expands its uses. For example, in the form of perlite with its

outstanding insulating characteristics

• It is widely used as loose-fill insulation in masonry construction where it enhances

fire ratings, reduces noise transmission, does not rot and termite resistant.

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CHAPTER-6
CONCLUSION

 The initial findings have shown that the lightweight concrete has a desirable strength to be
an alternative construction material for the industrialized building system.

 The strength of aerated lightweight concrete is low for lower density mixture. This resulted
in the increment of voids throughout the sample caused by the foam. Thus, the decrease in
the compressive strength of the concrete.

 The foamed lightweight concrete is not suitable to be used as non-load bearing wall as the
compressive strength is 27% less than recommended. Nevertheless the compressive
strength is accepted to be produced as non-load bearing structure.

 By using 60% of light weight aggregate as a partial replacement to NCA the compressive
strength is promising.

 The density of concrete is found to decrease with the increase in percentage replacement of
natural aggregate pumice aggregate.

 The compressive strength of concrete is found to increase with the decrease in pumice
content.

 With the addition of mineral admixtures, the compressive, split-tensile and flexural
strengths of concrete are increased. Light weight aggregate is no way inferior to natural
coarse aggregate and it can be used for construction purpose

 Concrete with 60% replacement of pumice the compressive strength is comparable with
normal concrete.

 This type of concrete can be utilized in wall panels of non load bearing type for use in
precast buildings.

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REFERENCES

i. Mat Lazim Zakaria, Bahan dan Binaan, Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (1978).

ii. Shan Somayuji Civil Engineering Materials, N.J Prentice (1995),

iii. Mohd Roji Samidi, First report research project on lightweight

concrete, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Skudai, Johor Bahru. (1997).

iv. Hamad, A. J. Materials, production, properties and application of aerated

lightweight concrete. International journal of materials science and engineering,
2(2), 152-157. (2014).
v. Sundara K. K., Geetha L D., "Experimental Study on Mechanical Properties of
Light Weight Aggregate Concrete", International Journal for Technological Research
in
Engineering, Volume 3, Issue 10, (2016), pp2794-2801.
vi. Rajeswari S, Sunilaa G., Experimental Study of Light Weight Concrete by Partial
Replacement of Coarse Aggregate Using Pumice Aggregate", International Journal of
Scientific Engineering and Research (IJSER), Volume 4 Issue 5, (2016), pp50-53.
vii. Samson, G., Phelipot-Mardelé, A., & Lanos. A review of thermomechanical properties
of lightweight concrete. Magazine of Concrete Research, 69(4), 201-216. (2017).
viii. Thienel, K. C., Haller, T., & Beuntner, N. Lightweight concrete—From basics
to innovations. Materials, 13(5), 1120. (2020).
ix. http://www.concretecentre.com/
x. http://www.nrmca.org/aboutconcrete/cips/36p.pdf
xi. http://foamconcreteindia.in/

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