Introduction

Lightweight aggregates (bulk density less than 880

kg/m3) are used as a raw material in the manufacturing
of lightweight concrete (LWC).
They are also used in the production of lightweight
masonry blocks to improve thermal, insulating, and
nailing characteristics of these building materials.

There are two types of lightweight aggregate (LWA):

Natural LWA.
Manufactured/Synthetic LWA.

Natural LWA. Natural LWA

Consists of particles derived from natural materials or natural rocks,
primarily those of volcanic origin.
Examples include: pumice, scoria, perlite, vermiculite
These are much lighter and porous than synthetic LWA
Pakistan has negligible reserves of Natural LWA.
Manufactured/Synthetic LWA
Synthetic LWA can be manufactured by two methods: 1. Sintering, 2.
Cold Bonding.
Normally wastes or by-products are used to manufacture artificial
LWA.
Synthetic LWAs have better engineering properties than natural LWA
and are more sustainable
 Sintered Aggregates
Process Pelletization and Sintering
Apparatus/Machinery Pelletizer and Rotary Kiln
Sintering Temp. 1200-1400 C
Sintering Time 6-8 hours
kg/m3 (120-192 kg/m3) Materials used Clay, slag, fly ash, sewage
sludge, red mud etc.
Density of Aggregates 700-950 kg/m3
LWA Name Expanded clay, expanded
slag, expanded sewage
sludge aggregates.

Sintered Aggregates Expanded clay

Expanded shale

Pelletizer
 Cold Bonded Aggregates
Types Cement based, Geopolymer
Cement Based Aggregates
Based
Process Pelletization and Curing
Apparatus/Machinery Pelletizer
Working Temp. Room Temperature
Curing Water curing, Oven Curing
Materials used Slag, fly ash, ashes, cement,
alkaline activators.
Density of Aggregates* 700-950 kg/m3
* Density of cold-bonded aggregates is slightly higher than sintered aggregates
because sintering produces more porosity

Advantages of LWA Disadvantages of LWA

Technical
Reduced self weight

Smaller footings, fewer Slightly higher production cost

piles, pile caps and
reinforcement Lesser strength
Economical
Reduced inertial seismic
forces
Reduced sections and
sizes of structural
Porosity and water absorption
members
Easy rehabilitation and Frost resistance
addition of storeys Lesser reinforcement
required Impacts workability of concrete
More Storeys to the Environmental
structures Reduced
transportation cost
Waste utilization Can cause segregation
Improved insulation and
fire resistance Reduced labour costs
Relief to natural Can cause durability problems due to porosity
aggregate resources
Easy handling and Economical structures
working efficiency
Production cost of aggregates
Cost can be reduced for up-scalling production
Using wastes or by-products
Optimizing design mixes using cheaper raw materials
Cost is offset by other technical benefits like deal load
reduction, optimized design dimensions, lesser
transportation costs.
Porosity and Water absorption
LWA higher porosity and water absorption which affects fresh,
hardened, and durability properties of concrete.
It is compensated, to some extent, by better ITZ development
in concrete. Higher porosity promotes better bond between
aggregates and cement paste.
Porosity can be made to reduce using finer raw materials in
cold bonded aggregates.
Synthetic LWAs have lesser porosity than Natural LWA, so
use of synthetic LWA is preferred.
Lesser Strength
Different combination of binders can be used to improve
strength. Silica fume, Nano silica can be added.
Concrete mixes can be optimized using particle packing
models and finer pozzolanas.
Can be used for non-structural applications.
Workability of Concrete
LWA higher porosity and water absorption which affects
fresh, hardened, and durability properties of concrete.
Extra water, equal to water absorption of LWA can be
added during mix design.
Workability can be maintained by using admixtures.
Workability can be maintained by adding SCMs like fly
ash.
 Segregation
LWA can cause heavier particles of concrete mixes to
segregate.

The problem can be avoided using careful proportioning

of mixes.

Improved particle packing can be achieved using

properly designed mixtures.

Lightweight Concrete (LWC)

Normal weight concrete (NWC) has excellent strength, but Lightweight Concrete (LWC)
its unit weight is higher and resulting dead weight of RCC
LWC is the concrete which is lighter than NWC.
structures is biggest concern for multi-storey structures.
LWC have different types based on the production
Density of NWC is > 2300
technique.
Thermal and acoustic insulation capacity of NWC is lesser.
Lightweight aggregate concrete (LWAC)
Modern age buildings demand energy efficient and lighter
Foam concrete (FC)
materials for sustainable development.
Lightweight Concrete (LWC)
Foam Concrete
Is manufactured using foaming agents in the concrete to
produce foams and air bubbles in concrete.
In Pakistan, mostly FC is prepared for lightweight
applications.
It has more porosity and water absorption.
The frost resistance and durability issues are more in this
type.
It exhibits creep and shrinkage problems.
Lightweight Concrete (LWC)
Lightweight Aggregate Concrete
It is prepared by partial or full replacement of coarse aggregates
with LWAs.
It can be manufactured for customized density requirements by
proportioning LWA and normal coarse aggregates content in the
mixes.
This type has better structural performance including elastic
modulus, stiffness etc.
It has better control over creep and shrinkage effects.
Lightweight Concrete (LWC)
Foam Concrete
FC has different types based on uses and corresponding
density of the concrete.
Filling and insulation material (300-600 kg/m3)
Non-structural or partition walls (600-1200 kg/m3)
Structural or load-bearing elements (1200-1600 kg/m3)
Applications of LWC
LWC can be used in both structural and non-structural
applications.
It can be used as acoustic and thermal insulating materials to
realize more comfortable, energy efficient and sustainable
indoor environments.
It has disadvantages of lower strength, more creep and
shrinkage, and durability concerns due to porosity and
absorption. But required properties can be achieved through
optimized mix design using combination of admixtures, SCMs
and finer pozzolans.