A Compact Review on the Waste-Based Lightweight Concrete: Advancement and Possibilities

Abstract

AbstractLightweight concrete (LWC) has been used for more than 2000 years, and the technical development of waste-based LWC is still proceeding. Notably, the very first representative concrete mix of infrastructural LWC was introduced for building a family house in Berlin, Germany, a few decades ago. The unique and distinctive combination of waste-based LWC successfully creates an appealing alternative to traditional concrete aggregates in terms of durability, robustness, cost, energy-saving, transportation, environmental advantages, innovative architectural designs and implementations, and ease of construction. Numerous researchers have attempted to utilize waste materials to produce LWC, aiming to bring both ecological and economical solutions to the construction industry over the past few decades. Waste materials, such as crushed glass, waste tire rubber, masonry rubber, chip rubber, plastics, coconut shells, palm oil fuel ash, palm kernel shells, fly ash, and rice husks, possess lower specific gravity than traditional concrete aggregates. Thus waste-based LWC can be a significant replacement for conventional raw materials (cementitious material and aggregates) as it requires less strength than conventional concrete for both structural and non-structural applications. Although waste-based LWC is well recognized and has proven its scientific potential in a broad range of applications, there are still uncertainties and hesitations in practice. Therefore, the primary objective of this study was to demonstrate the current state-of-the-art understanding and advancement of waste-based LWC over the past decades. Furthermore, an equally critical discussion is reported to shed light on the potential benefits of LWC. We highlight how the performance of LWC has been enhanced significantly over the period, and understanding of the properties of waste-based LWC has advanced.