Construction and Building Materials 137 (2017) 381–389

Contents lists available at ScienceDirect

Construction and Building Materials

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/conbuildmat

Microstructural analysis of interfacial transition zone (ITZ) and its

impact on the compressive strength of lightweight concretes
P. Vargas, Oscar Restrepo-Baena, Jorge I. Tobón ⇑
Department of Materials and Minerals, Cement and Building Materials Group, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Colombia

h i g h l i g h t s

Microstructure in the ITZ of lightweight concretes was studied.

Lightweight aggregates (LWA) contributed to the formation of a dense and thinner ITZ.

Lightweight structural concretes were developed and explained.

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: In this research both the microstructure and thickness of the interfacial transition zone (ITZ) in concretes
Received 9 September 2016 of Portland cement and lightweight aggregates (LWA) are studied. It has been established that the
Received in revised form 23 December 2016 microstructure in the ITZ strongly depends on the nature of the aggregate, specifically its porosity and
Accepted 25 January 2017
water absorption. This study aims at researching the influence of physical properties such as density,
porosity and morphology of lightweight aggregates such as pumice and expanded clays, on the
microstructure and thickness of ITZ, and determine the effect that these factors have in turn on the
Keywords:
mechanical properties as compressive strength of lightweight concretes (LWC). Lightweight aggregates
Lightweight aggregates
Lightweight concrete
were characterized by X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and X-ray
ITZ microstructure Fluorescence (XRF), to determine their mineralogical, morphological and chemical characteristics. The
Lightweight concrete compressive strength characterization of ITZ by SEM-EDS, and conventional optical microscopy, was carried out on specimens
of concrete manufactured with LWA and with a conventional aggregate, in order to evaluate its thickness;
furthermore, to determine the porosity, digital image processing (DIP) was performed. Lightweight aggre-
gates contributed to the formation of a dense and thinner ITZ, when compare to the ITZ of a conventional
concrete. The lower porosity and greater amount of hydrated cement phases in the ITZ of lightweight
aggregates are attributed to their physical, morphological properties and chemical and mineralogical
composition; which contributed to the decrease of the wall effect, gestating from its surface the
formation of C-S-H, achieving interlacing of hydrated phases on the surface of these aggregates with
the cementitious matrix.
Ó 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction
The ITZ is a layer formed between an aggregate and the matrix
of cement paste, composed of a double layer ‘‘duplex film” of cal-
cium hydroxide crystals (Ca(OH)2) oriented to the aggregate’s side
and hydrated calcium silicate, C-S-H gel, oriented to the side of the
paste, with a thickness of about 1 lm. Farthest from the aggregates
is the main interface zone of about 40–50 lm thick, containing
larger crystals of calcium hydroxide [1]. In this zone the cement
particles are unable to bind intimately with the relatively large
⇑ Corresponding author.
E-mail address: jitobon@unal.edu.co (J.I. Tobón).
particles of the aggregate, ‘‘the wall effect”; consequently, the ITZ
has a much higher porosity (2 to 3 times) than that of the hardened
cement paste farthest from the aggregate particles [2]. The ITZ
properties are affected by the characteristics of the aggregate and
the cementitious matrix, as well. Several researchers have found
that the grain size distribution of the cement, the water cement
ratio, the aggregate size, and the type of aggregate have important
effects on the ITZ properties [1–4].
Significant efforts have been devoted to optimizing the dosage
and to the study of mechanical properties of lightweight concrete
(LWC), to make them competent with normal weight concretes
[5–7], which have led to the study of ITZ microstructure [3,4,8–11].
Finding that the mechanisms responsible for the ITZ formation

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2017.01.101
0950-0618/Ó 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
382 P. Vargas et al. / Construction and Building Materials 137 (2017) 381–389

are related among others with absorption and water release, which
is a feature of the lightweight aggregates (LWA) themselves, due to
their usual high porosity. They have higher absorption and subse-
quent release of water, increasing the hydration degree of the paste
around the aggregate and the amount of free water, making the
adjacent paste to develop a structure with greater porosity [7,8].
It is often assumed that the LWA used in the manufacture of con-
crete have less chemical reactivity and their interaction with the
cement matrix is mainly physical [7]; therefore, the chemical influ-
ence of the LWA on the ITZ properties have received less attention.
Researches carried out by Elsharief et al. and Xiao et al. [3,4]
state that both size and texture of the aggregates surface have
great influence on the ITZ properties. Authors like Yu et al. [12],
along with Kong et al. [13]; denote that both physical and chemical
interactions that occur between LWA and the cement paste are
responsible for the ITZ mechanical strength.
Some studies have shown that the water absorption and degree
of LWA pre-wetting may influence the interface formation process
[9]; however, further research is needed to fully understand the
chemical and physical process between the LWA and cement paste,
which depends on the mineralogical composition, the texture and
shape of the aggregates, as well. It appears that the rougher the
aggregate the larger the contact surface with the cement paste,
and thus, greater adhesion [14,5,15,16].
This paper focuses on the study of the incidence of the morphol-
ogy and composition (chemical and mineralogical) of the LWA in
the formation of ITZ microstructure and thickness, and also its
influence on the LWC compressive strength, seeking to develop
structural lightweight concretes.
process stopped, drying the samples in an oven at 60 °C and
afterwards they were taken for cutting, the sub samples of 2 cm2
for ITZ morphological analysis. The SEM micrographs were per-
formed in a SEM JEOL JSM 5910LV with detectors of backscattering
electrons and applying 15 kV to image generation and a working
distance of 10 mm. The samples were subjected to high vacuum
and were then coated with an 8 nm layer of gold-palladium to
enhance their electrical conductivity. Micrographs were taken in
a Nikon stereoscope reference Eclipse LV100, objectives 2x, up to
11.5x, the stereoscopy micrographs allowed digital image
processing (DIP) for the porosimetry analysis; which describes
the pores in a section of the aggregate, when adding all images it
is sought to recreate the pores area of a complete aggregate.
2.2. Materials and characterization
In the development of this study a normal weight conventional
aggregate (CO) and two LWA, pumice (PO), thermally expanded
clay, aliven (AL) and Portland cement type I (OPC) were used. In
Table 1 is shown the chemical composition of each one obtained
by XRF.
The chemical composition of aggregates corresponds to silicon
oxide, aluminium oxide, iron oxide, and in lesser proportion mag-
nesium, sodium, calcium, and potassium oxides.
The mineralogical composition for the aggregates is given in the
diffractograms of Figs. 1–3. In Fig. 1, can be seen that for the
pumice a broad peak is formed just between positions 2h in 20°
and 30°, where the characteristic peak of quartz is around 26.5°,

Table 1
Chemical composition of aggregates and cement.
2. Materials and methods
Chemical composition Weight%
2.1. Methodology PO AL CO OPC
Silicon Oxide (SiO2) 72.1 59.67 58.43 20.9
The chemical characterization of raw materials was performed Aluminum oxide (Al2 O3) 13.35 16.95 13.46 4.72
through X-ray Fluorescence (XRF), using a Panalytical equipment; Iron oxide (Fe2 O3) 1.30 9.79 8.33 3.20
model Axios, through quantitative analysis over pearl per X-ray Magnesium oxide (MgO) 0.05 4.13 6.00 1.80
Calcium oxide (CaO) 1.22 3.57 7.17 60.69
Fluorescence per dispersive wavelength.
Sodium oxide (Na2O) 3.35 2.07 1.89 0.37
The mineralogical analysis was performed in an equipment of Potassium oxide (K2O) 4.63 1.28 1.02 0.61
X-ray Diffraction (XRD) reference Panalytical X Pert PRO MPD, in Sulfur oxide (SO3) 0.08 0.04 0.09 0.13
an interval 2h between 4° and 70°, with a passage of 0.02° and Ignition losses at 2.93 0.75 2.40 3.68
an accumulation time of 56 s. A copper anode with Ka = 1.5406 Å 1000 °C

was used.
The physical properties of aggregates, such as surface area were
performed through BET test by chemisorption, the water absorp-
tion in compliance with ACI 211.2, [18] and the density is appropri-
ate to ASTM C127, [19]. The shape index (Ia) was calculated by the
procedure established in the ASTM D3398 standard [20].
The concrete mixture design was performed in compliance with
ACI 213R-03 [23]. Aggregate concrete specimens and Portland
cement type I were prepared. The dosage of cement was 500 kg/m3,
the aggregate was 400 kg/m3. The water cement ratio was varied
in 0.35 and 0.45. To achieve as the response variable the concrete
density and afterwards the compressive strength at 28 days.
The encoding used for the name of the mixtures corresponds to
the abbreviation of the aggregate used: pumice (PO), aliven (AL)
and conventional (CO), followed by the water/cement ratio of the
mixture, 0.35 or 0.45. Once the concrete specimens were fabricated
they were taken to 28 days curing as suggested by ASTM C511 [24],
in immersion in water saturated with lime (Ca(OH)2). After
reaching the age of curing, the compressive strength test to the
corresponding samples was conducted in compliance with ASTM
C109 standard [25], at ages 3 and 28 days of curing.
Taking micrographs was performed using both optical micro-
scopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), the hydration Fig. 1. LWA pumice diffractogram.
 P. Vargas et al. / Construction and Building Materials 137 (2017) 381–389 383

this would correspond to a silica of low crystallinity degree or an

Fig. 2. LWA Aliven diffractogram.
Fig. 3. Conventional aggregate diffractogram.
amorphous one, characteristic attributed since this peak is not well
defined and lacks the slenderness that indicates the silica’s crys-
tallinity. Other components are aluminosilicates such as albite
and small traces of anorthite. The stated composition corresponds
with the pumice formation processes, which is a felsic volcanic
rock.
The silica’s crystallinity degree in the pumice, makes it a poten-
tially chemically reactive material with calcium hydroxide (CH), a
cement hydration product. Some authors have found reduced CH
content in the concrete paste with LWA, thus, indicating that these
can achieve pozzolanic reactivity [17].
The diffractogram obtained for the Aliven, where the main min-
eral species found correspond to a silica of high crystallinity degree
(quartz), in the position 2h in 26.5°, is shown in Fig. 2. Other phases
present correspond to aluminosilicate in the form of plagioclase,
and small traces of iron oxide in the form of hematite.
In Fig. 3 is shown the diffractogram obtained for conventional
aggregate, the mineralogical species identified correspond to silica
in crystalline state, hornblende, and small traces of anorthite and
chamosite.
The values corresponding to the physical properties of aggre-
gates used in the manufacture of concrete are shown in Table 2.
The results show a higher value of water absorption for the
pumice, due to its porosity, which was evaluated using DIP
(Fig. 4C), where pores with a diameter of 5 lm to 2000 lm both
in the surface and inside the aggregate were found; furthermore,
the pumice aggregates are vesicular rocks of interconnected pores.
Regarding the Aliven, because it is a material with a vitreous
outer layer (Fig. 5C), the absorption was lower, since in this layer
both the size and volume of pores decrease, inhibiting water
migration into the aggregate. Pores with diameters varying from
100 lm to 500 lm are found in the interior.
Regarding the conventional aggregate (Fig. 6) the absorption is
much lower compared to the LWA, due to its defined crystal struc-
ture (Fig. 3), it is a very dense material, the absorption is due to
slight porosity on the surface, less than 7 lm which can be seen
in Fig. 6B, while inside it lacks capillary pores (Fig. 6C).
By correlating the results for water absorption using DIP in the
case of Aliven, it has a higher porosity area of 70.5% versus the
pumice 63.2% (Table 2), because inside the Aliven there are pores

Table 2
Physical properties of aggregates.

Aggregate Surface area (m2/g) Shape index (%) Density (kg/m3) Water absorption (%) Pores area DIP (%)
PO 2.10 21.2 304.8 44.0 63.2
AL 1.13 23.9 519.9 10.3 70.5
CO 0.78 24.8 1636.0 1.5 2.8
*
Particle size 7.5 mm.

Fig. 4. Pumice lightweight aggregate. (A and B) Stereoscope micrograph on the surface. (C) SEM micrograph inside the aggregate.
384 P. Vargas et al. / Construction and Building Materials 137 (2017) 381–389
Fig. 5. Aliven lightweight aggregate. (A) Stetoscope micrograph on surface (B) Stetoscope micrograph inside, (C) SEM micrograph on the edge and inside the aggregate.
Fig. 6. Conventional aggregate, (A and B) Aggregate surface (C) Inside aggregate.
of higher size in which the water that managed to permeate the
vitrified layer is retained. Concerning the conventional aggregate,
it preserves the relationship between the porosity area and since
the absorption is much lower it preserves its porosity inside; its
absorption is also much lower compared to LWA.
The specific area (Table 2) increases with the porosity of the
aggregate surface, since the pumice is an aggregate of exposed
porosity on its surface it has more surface area compared to both
Aliven and conventional. In turn the porosity is associated with
the density of the aggregates, the higher the porosity the lower
the density of the LWA.
The shape index for pumice corresponds to an aggregate of
morphology in poorly defined angular blocks, with little flat faces
and hardly distinguishable blunt edges. The Aliven is mostly spher-
ical with some oval particles. Varying Aliven morphology is due to
the expansion process in the rotatory oven. The conventional
aggregate comes from a mixture of particles of oval and angular
shapes, present in the reservoir and angular particles product of
grinding. It has a shape index value of (24.8%) similar to Aliven,
indicating spherically shaped particles [21].
To minimize the effect of aggregate size on the ITZ thickness [3],
it was decided to use only the sizes that went through the sieve of
3/800 (9.5 mm) and retained in the sieve N° 4 (4.76 mm), limit of
aggregate from coarse to fine, as established by ASTM C330 [22].
3. Results and discussion
3.1. ITZ morphology
In Figs. 7–9 are shown the ITZ around the different aggregates in
the concretes evaluated. This corresponds to an aura of lighter
Edge
Inside aggregate
color than that of the cementitious matrix and of irregular thick-
ness. The images called B are always showing a detail of ITZ that
is highlighted in red in image A.
Fig. 7 shows that in the pumice aggregates, the ITZ is difficult to
define due to their light colors and their surface porosity, which
allows the cement grains staying in the pores and initiate their
hydration from this zone with deposition of CH [15].
Regarding the Aliven (Fig. 8) the ITZ can be seen well defined,
due to the color of the aggregate and its spherical morphology.
Concerning the conventional aggregates, the ITZ is also clearly
distinguishable (Fig. 9).
The micrographs obtained using SEM (Fig. 10), show C-S-H for-
mation in the ITZ and inside the pores of the LWA of pumice, the
formation of this phase is favored by the increasing amount of
water in the ITZ and the possibility that cement particles are
deposited in the pores of the LWA surface. Additionally, a poz-
zolanic reaction could be occurring between the aggregate and
the cement hydration products, due to high silica contents and
low pumice crystallinity. This can be confirmed in the
Figs. 11C, 12B and C which show the formation of the greater
amount of crystals of CH in the ITZ of aliven concrete and conven-
tional concrete.
Regarding the Aliven (Fig. 11), the formation of C-S-H and CH in
the ITZ is observed, the hydration products of cement can pene-
trate the cavities or pores of the aggregate surface, acting as several
‘‘hooks” binding both matrix and aggregate, known as mechanical
interlacing [8,27]. In the Aliven, the expansion temperature may
cause recrystallization of its components, reducing the possibility
of pozzolanic reactivity of the surface of these aggregates.
In Fig. 12, it can be seen that for the concretes of conventional
aggregates there is more porosity in the ITZ, also a continuous
 P. Vargas et al. / Construction and Building Materials 137 (2017) 381–389 385

Fig. 7. (A) ITZ formation at 28 days of curing pumice concrete (B) Enlargement of Framed area.

Fig. 8. (A) ITZ formation at 28 days of curing Aliven concrete. (B) Enlargement of Framed area.

Fig. 9. (A) ITZ formation at 28 days of curing conventional concrete. (B) Enlargement of Framed area.

ITZ
ITZ
Matrix
Aggregate
C-S-H
A B

Fig. 10. (A) ITZ SEM micrograph sample POC5-0.35. (B) Framed area extension sample POC5-0.35.
386 P. Vargas et al. / Construction and Building Materials 137 (2017) 381–389

ITZ
ITZ ITZ
Matrix

C-S-H CH
Aggregate
A B C

Fig. 11. (A) ITZ SEM micrograph sample ALC5-0.45 (B) Framed area extension sample ALC5-0.45 (C) sample ALC5-0.45ITZ.

Aggregate
ITZ
Eringite CH
CH
ITZ

A Matrix B C

Fig. 12. (A) ITZ SEM micrograph sample COC5-0.35 (B) sample COC5-0.35 (C) sample COC5-0.35.

space between phases can be seen in the micrographs, being dis-

tinguishable mainly CH and ettringite crystals and a scant amount
of C-S-H. When comparing this structure with ITZ of LWA con-
cretes, it can be seen that for these the amount of C-S-H that lead
to the ITZ densification is greater.
Besides the wall effect, which contributes to the formation of
ITZ microstructure, an active secondary mechanism in the forma-
tion of ITZ has been identified, called ‘‘growth sided” effect, since
hydration occurs in regions remote from the aggregate surface,
porosity is filled with hydration products coming from all direc-
tions. However, close to a surface of the aggregate, the growth
occurs only from the side of the cement paste where the available
porosity is filled with hydration products growing just in one

Fig. 14. ITZ thicknesses micrograph Aliven concrete sample ALC5-0.45.

direction (Fig. 12). These hydration products are mainly CH, since
the Ca+2 ions have a relatively high mobility in the solution and
tend to diffuse in the more porous zone of ITZ (due to higher con-
centration gradients in this zone), resulting in the precipitation of
CH and hydration products of calcium trisulfoaluminate as ettrin-
gite, which has been raised by authors like Garboczi & Bentz [27].

3.2. ITZ thickness

In Figs. 13–15 some measurements of ITZ thickness for the

three aggregates being studied are shown. Regarding the pumice,
the edge of the start of ITZ at the aggregate’s side is hardly differ-
Fig. 13. ITZ thicknesses micrograph pumice concrete sample POC5-0.45. entiable, due to what was stated above in Section 3.1. In some
 P. Vargas et al. / Construction and Building Materials 137 (2017) 381–389 387

cement grains close to the aggregates, and thus, a thinner ITZ

(lower porosity). In contrast, mixtures with high w/c ratio generate
a thicker ITZ (greater porosity), [8,26]. Regarding the incidence of
aggregate type is evident that the interlacing between the paste
and aggregate is best developed in ITZ of lightweight concretes,
affecting ITZ thickness as shown in Figs. 14 and 15. Additionally,
the differences observed for ITZ of lightweight concretes are also
related to water absorption, for aggregates with exposed porosity
on the surface the ITZ thickness is lower [28,29].

3.3. Compressive strength

The highest compressive strength results were obtained for

concretes of conventional aggregates (Table 3), especially with
lower w/c ratio, which agrees with findings by authors like Dilli
et al. [30]. For the LWC the best performance was presented by
mixture C5-0.35, for concrete with pumice with 23.8 MPa, fol-
lowed by Aliven with 18.8 MPa. By increasing the w/c ratio in
Fig. 15. ITZ thicknesses micrograph conventional concrete sample COC5-0.45. the same mixture, both a decrease in the strength and an increase
in the thickness of ITZ are observed.
With these results it can be seen that by decreasing the w/c
Table 3
ITZ Thickness and compressive strength of concretes at 28 days of curing.
ratio and using lightweight aggregates with potential pozzolanic
reaction, such as pumice, the average thickness and porosity of
Mixture ITZ thickness (lm) F’c (MPa) Concrete density (kg/m3) ITZ is reduced, the content of cementitious phases such as C-S-H
PO-0.35 50.6 23.8 1577.9 in the ITZ is increased and the compressive strength of LWC is
PO-0.45 67.9 14.6 1551.7 increased, as well.
AL-0.35 59.2 18.8 1525.3
AL-0.45 63.6 16.6 1534.1
The increased compressive strength in the LWC with structure
CO-0.35 65.7 48.5 2379.5 refinement of ITZ is limited by the compressive strength of light-
CO-0.45 88.9 44.4 2328.0 weight aggregates, whereas in the pumice concretes as shown in
OPC paste 59.4 Fig. 16 the cracks caused by compressive strength traverse the
LWA, while in conventional concretes the cracks are bordering
the aggregates (Fig. 17), which allows conventional concretes to
zones, thicker ITZ bays are formed, corresponding to incoming show compressive strength values very close to those of the paste
cementitious paste reaching the pores of the aggregates surface. (Table 3), while the LWC show compressive strength values far
In zones where the aggregates have a smooth surface, a thinner from that of the paste and more similar to those of the aggregate
ITZ is seen. [28].
In analyzing the data in Table 3, it is found that the lower thick- The results of compressive strength of LWC mixtures with a w/c
ness of ITZ is presented by pumice aggregate with an average of ratio of 0.35, indicate that these concretes can be classified as
50.6 lm for the mixture C5-0.35. The lower value in each of the structural lightweight concretes in compliance with ASTM C 330
aggregates is obtained for mixtures with lower w/c ratio. This standard, [22] and as suggested by ACI 213-03 [23], as well,
behavior for the ITZ thickness, is associated to the fact that con- because they reach compressive strength values greater or similar
crete mixtures with lower w/c produce a better distribution of to 17.2 MPa, despite using a mixture without the presence of sand

LWA cracked pumice

cracked cementitious
matrix

Fig. 16. Representation failure in LWC, after testing compressive strength at 28 days of curing.
388 P. Vargas et al. / Construction and Building Materials 137 (2017) 381–389
Fig. 17. Failure in conventional concrete, after testing compressive strength at 28 days of curing.
as fine aggregate. Densities lower than 1920 kg/m3 (ACI 213-03)
were also achieved [23].
4. Conclusions
The LWA, especially the pumice, contributed to the formation of
a dense and thinner ITZ, when compared to the ITZ of a conven-
tional concrete.
The ITZ densification (lower porosity and greater number of
hydrated phases) can be attributed to the physical properties,
chemical composition, crystalline, and morphological structure of
lightweight aggregates. Physical properties like surface porosity,
which contributed to the deposition of cement particles, reducing
the wall effect of ITZ formation and gestating from the surface
the formation of C-S-H hydrated phases. Thanks to the chemical
composition and crystallinity degree a pozzolanic reactivity can
occur between the cementitious paste with the surface of the
pumice aggregates and in turn interlacing of hydrated phases on
the surface of Aliven and pumice aggregates, too.
The shape index can influence the ITZ thickness, it was observed
that higher rates (spherical shapes) for conventional aggregates
and LWA as Aliven, that have greater thickness compared to the
ITZ of pumice concretes, thus the angularity of the latter and the
porosity of the surface, improved the ITZ microstructure, making
it less porous and reducing its thickness.
The increased compressive strength in LWC with structure
refinement of ITZ is limited by the compressive strength of light-
weight aggregates that are used because LWC fail through the
aggregates.
It was also found that by increasing the w/c ratio in concrete
mixtures from 0.35 to 0.45, the ITZ thickness increased for both
the LWC and for conventional concretes, indicating the strong
dependence between these two parameters.
The compressive strength greater than 17.2 MPa, for concretes
with pumice and aliven with w/c ratios of 0.35 allows to classify
them as lightweight structural concretes.
Acknowledgements
The work described in this paper has been endorsed by the
‘‘National program of projects to strengthen research, development
Cracked matrix and ITZ
conventional
aggregate
and innovation in postgraduate studies at Universidad Nacional de
Colombia 2013-2015”, Code 25867.
References
[1] S. Chandra, L. Berntsson, Lightweight aggregate concrete, Science, Technology,
and Applications, Chapter N°6, 2002, 131–164.
[2] J. Newman, P. Owens, Properties of lightweight concrete. Advanced Concrete
Technology Set, Woodhead Publishing Limited, 2003.
[3] A. Elsharief, M.D. Cohen, J. Olek, Influence of aggregate size, water cement ratio
and age on the microstructure of the interfacial transition zone, Cem. Concr.
Res. 33 (11) (2003) 1837–1849.
[4] J. Xiao, W. Li, Z. Sun, D.A. Lange, S.P. Shah, Properties of interfacial transition
zones in recycled aggregate concrete tested by Nanoindentation, Cem. Concr.
Compos. 37 (2013) 276–292.
[5] H.Z. Cui, T.Y. Lo, S.A. Memon, W. Xu, Effect of lightweight aggregates on the
mechanical properties and brittleness of lightweight aggregate concrete,
Constr. Build. Mater. 35 (2012) 149–158.
[6] H.Z. Cui, T.Y. Lo, S.A. Memon, F. Xing, X. Shi, Analytical model for compressive
strength, elastic modulus and peak strain of structural lightweight aggregate
concrete, Constr. Build. Mater. 36 (2012) 1036–1043.
[7] Y. Ke, A.L. Beaucour, S. Ortola, H. Dumontet, R. Cabrillac, Influence of volume
fraction and characteristics of lightweight aggregates on the mechanical
properties of concrete, Constr. Build. Mater. 23 (8) (2009) 2821–2828.
[8] Min-Hong Zhang, Odd E. Gjorv, Microstructure of the interfacial zone between
lightweight aggregate and cement paste, Cem. Concr. Res. 20(c) (1990) 610–
618.
[9] T.Y. Lo, H.Z. Cui, W.C. Tang, W.M. Leung, The effect of aggregate absorption on
pore area at interfacial zone of lightweight concrete, Constr. Build. Mater. 22
(4) (2008) 623–628.
[10] A. Bentur, M.G. Alexander, A review of the work of the RILEM TC 159-ETC:
Engineering of the interfacial transition zone in cementitious composites,
Mater. Struct. 33 (2) (2000) 82–87.
[11] M. Ayhan, H. Gönül, I.A. _ Gönül, A. Karakusß, Effect of basic pumice on
morphologic properties of interfacial transition zone in load-bearing
lightweight/semi-lightweight concretes, Constr. Build. Mater. 25 (5) (2011)
2507–2518.
[12] Q.L. Yu, P. Spiesz, H.J.H. Brouwers, Ultra-lightweight concrete: Conceptual
design and performance evaluation, Cem. Concr. Compos. 61 (2015) 18–28.
[13] L. Kong, L. Hou, X. Bao, Application of AC impedance technique in study of
lightweight aggregate-paste interface, Constr. Build. Mater. 82 (2015) 332–
340.
[14] G.A. Rao, B.K.R. Prasad, Influence of the roughness of aggregate surface on the
interface bond strength, Cem. Concr. Res. 32 (2) (2002) 253–257.
[15] L. Hong, X. Gu, F. Lin, Influence of aggregate surface roughness on mechanical
properties of interface and concrete, Constr. Build. Mater. 65 (2014) 338–349.
[16] Y. He, X. Zhang, Y. Zhang, Y. Zhou, Effects of particle characteristics of
lightweight aggregate on mechanical properties of lightweight aggregate
concrete, Constr. Build. Mater. 72 (2014) 270–282.
[17] L. Kong, L. Hou, Y. Du, Chemical reactivity of lightweight aggregate in cement
paste, Constr. Build. Mater. 64 (2014) 22–27.
[18] ACI 211.2, Standard practice for selecting proportions for structural
lightweight concrete, 1998.
 P. Vargas et al. / Construction and Building Materials 137 (2017) 381–389
[19] ASTM C127-07, Standard test method for density, relative density (Specific
Gravity), and absorption of coarse aggregate.
[20] ASTM D3398-00, Standard test method for index of aggregate particle shape
and texture.
[21] S.S. Jamkar, C.B.K. Rao, Index of Aggregate Particle Shape and Texture of coarse
aggregate as a parameter for concrete mix proportioning, Cem. Concr. Res. 34
(11) (2004) 2021–2027.
[22] ASTM C330-99, Standard test method for lightweight aggregates for structural
concrete.
[23] ACI 213R, Guide for structural lightweight aggregate concrete. ACI manual of
concrete practice, 2003.
[24] ASTM C511, Mixing rooms, moist cabinets, moist rooms, and water storage
tanks used in the testing of hydraulic cements and concretes.
[25] ASTM C109. Standard test method for compressive strength of hydraulic
cement mortars (Using 2-in. or [50-mm] Cube Specimens).
389
[26] M.-H. Zhang, O.E. Gjørv, Pozzolanic reactivity of lightweight aggregates, Cem.
Concr. Res. 20(c) (1990) 884–890.
[27] E.J. Garboczi, D.P. Bentz, Digital-simulation of the aggregate–cement paste
interfacial zone in concrete, J. Mater. Res. 6 (1) (1991) 196–201.
[28] K.M. Anwar Hossain, Properties of volcanic pumice based cement and
lightweight concrete, Cem. Concr. Res. 34 (2) (2004) 283–291.
[29] Y. Ke, S. Ortola, A.L. Beaucour, H. Dumontet, Identification of microstructural
characteristics in lightweight aggregates concretes by micromechanical
modelling including the interfacial transition zone (ITZ), Cem. Concr. Res. 40
(11) (2010) 1590–1600.
[30] M.E. Dilli, H.N. Atahan, C. Sengül, A comparison of strength and elastic
properties between conventional and lightweight structural concretes
designed with expanded clay aggregates, Constr. Build. Mater. 101 (2015)
260–267.