AVANTHI'S RESEARCH AND

TECHNOLOGICAL ACADEMY

STRUCTURAL LIGHTWEIGHT
CONCRETE
Submitted by
CH. VAMSI
19HQ5A0103
Dept. Of civil
Introduction
Properties of LWC
Applications of LWC
Advantages and disadvantages
Case study
conclusion
References
 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 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.
It was first introduced by the Romans in the second century
where ‘The Pantheon’ has been constructed using pumice, the most
common type of aggregate used.
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 .
The Pantheon
 Compressive strength is the primary physical property
of concrete and is the one most used in design.
Fourteen trial mixes had been prepared
during the research and from the results, the mixture with
the highest compressive strength was used.

Compressive strength at different densities

Compressive strength at different percentage
Compressive strength at different w/c ratio
of foam

Compressive strength for different % of foam

Compressive strength at 28 days
Compressive strength at different w/c ratio
 Water absorption is an important factor due to the porous
structure of the aerated lightweight concrete.
The water absorption test is done using the samples
prepared at the age of 28 days.
The purpose of this test is to identify the capability of the
concrete to absorb water.
Water absorption at different foam agent and water ratio

Moisture content at different percentage of foam

 As with normal-weight concrete, entrained air in
structural lightweight concrete ensures resistance to
freezing and thawing and to deicer applications.
It also improves workability, reduces bleeding and
segregation, and may compensate
for minor grading deficiencies in the aggregate.
The amount of entrained air should be sufficient to
provide good workability to the plastic concrete and
adequate freeze-thaw resistance to the hardened
concrete.
Air contents are generally between 5% and 8%,
depending on the maximum size of coarse aggregate
used and the exposure conditions.
 Due to lower aggregate density, structural lightweight concrete
does not slump as much as normal-weight concrete with the same
workability.
It is seldom necessary to exceed slumps of 125 mm (5 in.) for
normal placement of structural lightweight concrete.

As with normal-weight concrete, vibration can be used

effectively to consolidate lightweight concrete; the same
frequencies commonly used for normal-density concrete
are recommended.
Excessive vibration causes segregation by forcing large
aggregate particles to the surface.
 Thermal resistance of concrete vs density

Lightweight concrete has been used since the eighteen centuries by

the Romans.
The lightweight concrete was also used in construction during the
First World War. The United States used mainly for shipbuilding.
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.
 Rapid and relatively simple construction.
Economical in terms of transportation as well as reduction in manpower.
Significant reduction of overall weight results in saving structural frames,
footing or piles.
Most of lightweight concrete have better nailing and sawing properties
than heavier and stronger conventional concrete.

Very sensitive with water content in the mixtures.

Difficult to place and finish because of the porosity and angularity of the
aggregate.
Mixing time is longer than conventional concrete to assure proper mixing.
 Poor foundation condition.
Severe earthquake forces.
Durability.
Rapid construction.
Space utilization.
Reduced site work.
Innovative spirit.

The use of lightweight concrete was initially proposed by

Stresscrete, the precast concrete supplier.
But it was also readily accepted by the project structural
consultants, Holmes Consulting Group, who were impressed by the
potential of the product to reduce cost and responded enthusiastically to
the challenge of a new material.
* Compressive strength : 44 MPa.
* Density : 1845 kg/m^3.
* Modulus Of Elasticity : 19 GPa.
* Creep : 2.3.
 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 are
low for lower density mixture. This resulted in the
increment of voids throughout the sample caused by the
foam.
The foamed lightweight concrete is not suitable to be
used as non-load bearing as the compressive strength is
27% less than recommended. The compressive strength
is accepted to be produced as non-load bearing
structure.
 Report on research project on
lightweight concrete.
Formed Lightweight Concrete. www.
pearliteconcreteforrorepair.com
A.M Neville (1985)
Properties of concrete
Cellular Lightweight Concrete, Plan
City/NCS LLC.
www. Neoporsystem.com
Thank you