Properties of Structural Lightweight Aggregate Concrete Based on Sintered Fly Ash and Modified with Exfoliated Vermiculite

Despite the undoubted advantages of using lightweight concrete, its actual use for structural elements is still relatively small in comparison to ordinary concrete. One of the reasons is the wide range of densities and properties of lightweight aggregates available on the market. As a part of the research, properties of concrete based on sintered fly ash were determined. The ash, due to its relatively high density is suitable to be used as a filler for structural concretes. Concrete was based on a mixture of sintered fly ash and exfoliated vermiculite aggregate also tested. The purpose of the research was to determine the possibility of using sintered fly ash as alternative aggregate in structural concrete and the impact of sintered fly ash lightweight aggregate on its physical, mechanical and durability properties. Conducted tests were executed according to European and Polish standards. Created concretes were characterized by compressive strength and tensile strength ranging from 20.3 MPa to 54.2 MPa and from 2.4 MPa to 3.8 MPa, respectively. The lightest of created concretes reached the apparent density of 1378 kg/m3.

On the Durability of Concrete under the Action of Ultra-Low (up to -196 °C) Technological Temperatures

The article presents the physical-chemical bases and as result – the technological bases of concrete resistance to ultra-low cryogenic (up to-196 °C) technical (engineering) temperatures, which is applied to the reinforced concrete structures of engineering constructions such as storage tanks for liquefied gases (in particular, liquid nitrogen and oxygen with cryogenic temperatures), as well as the enclosing structures of blocks (units) for air separation for various inert gases. The above-mentioned physical and chemical bases of concrete resistance to the ultralow cryogenic technical temperatures are developed, using the results of the analysis of modern ideas (hypotheses and theories) about the mechanism of low negative temperatures exposure on structural lightweight aggregate concrete and normal weight concrete due to the characteristics of their macro-and microstructure. The resistance of structural lightweight aggregate concrete in comparison with equal-strength normal weight concrete to the cyclic exposure of cryogenic temperatures was performed by the authors based on the results of the relevant analytical and experimental investigations. The results of these investigations are considered in the article as a modern scientific basis for the development of the main provisions for the manufacturing technology of structural lightweight aggregate concrete and normal weight concrete with high durability (frost resistance and water resistance) in conditions of cyclic exposure to cryogenic temperatures. The results of changes in strength and deformative characteristics of concrete in the process of cyclic freezing and thawing are accepted as evaluation criteria of the resistance of concrete, manufactured using the above-mentioned technologies, to such temperature exposure.

The Effects of Additives to Lightweight Aggregate on the Mechanical Properties of Structural Lightweight Aggregate Concrete

In the paper, the effects of different percentages of additives (perlite, LECA, pumice) on the mechanical properties of structural lightweight aggregate concrete were tested and evaluated. For the research, 14 mixing designs with different amounts of aggregate, water, and cement were made. Experimental results showed that the specific gravity of lightweight structural concrete made from a mixture of LECA, pumice, and perlite aggregates could be 25-30% lighter than conventional concrete. Lightweight structural concrete with a standard specific gravity can be achieved by using a combination of light LECA with perlite lightweight aggregates (LA) and pumice with perlite in concrete. The results indicated that LECA lightweight aggregates show more effective behavior in the concrete sample. Also, the amount of cement had a direct effect on increasing the strength regardless of the composition of LAs. The amount of cement causes compressive strength to increase. Furthermore, the stability of different experimental models increased from 156 to 345 kg m 3 while increasing the amount of cement from 300 to 400 kg m 3 in the mixing designs of LECA and perlite for W/C ratios of 0.3, 0.35, and 0.4. For a fixed amount of cement equal to 300 kg, the compressive strength is reduced by 4% by changing the water to cement ratio from 0.5 to 0.4. The compression ratios of strength for 7 to 28 days obtained in this study for lightweight concrete were between 0.67-0.8. Based on the rate of tensile strength to compressive strength of ordinary concretes, which is approximately 10, this ratio is about 13.5 to-17.8 in selected and optimal lightweight concretes in this research, which can be considered good indirect tensile strength for structural lightweight concretes.