Performance of Lightweight Aggregate Concrete Containing Expanded Polystyrene, Cinder and Ground-Granulated Blast-Furnace Slag

Abstract

Lightweight aggregate concrete is developed by substituting normal weight aggregate either fully or partially based on strength and density required. Expanded polystyrene (EPS) bead is a type of low density material, which also has good energy-absorbing characteristics and can be used as light weight aggregate in concrete. In the present study, Structural lightweight aggregate concrete (SLWAC) was produced by fully replacing normal weight aggregate with combinations of EPS beads to Cinder by the ratio 20:80, 40:60, 60:40, 80:20 respectively. And GGBS was used as supplementary cementitious material. The resulting concrete had strength variation between 29.5 to 11.6 MPa, and the density variation of 2192 to 1701 kg/m3. Considering strength and density criteria 40:60 ratios was observed as the optimal mix. The Compressive strength acquired by concrete was inversely proportional to the volume of EPS beads. Effect of fibers on mechanical properties such as flexural strength, compressive strength, and split-tensile strength was studied on the optimal mix by using polypropylene fibers, it was observed that an 8.78% increase in flexural strength at 1% fibers, 16.5% increase in Compressive strength at 0.5% fibers, and 35.4% increase in split-tensile strength at 1% fibers. Along with this, durability tests such as water absorption and permeability tests were performed, the performance of this concrete in water absorption test is well within the limits but in permeability, it underperformed which confirms that as the EPS ratio in the concrete increased, the absorption and depth of penetration values increased considerably. Microscopic observations were also made to study the interface amongst the cement paste and aggregates. It was revealed that GGBS did not influence significantly on the bonding with EPS beads.