• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.18 no.6
• /
• pp.615-626
• /
• 2019

Lightweight concrete (LWC) provides an attractive alternative to conventional piles by improving the durability of deep foundations. In this paper, the drivability of cylindrical and tapered piles made of lightweight and common concrete (CC) under hammer impacts was investigated by performing field tests and numerical analysis. The different concrete mixtures were considered to compare the mechanical properties of light aggregate which replaced instead of the natural aggregate. Driving tests were also conducted on different piles to determine how the pile material and geometric configurations affect driving performance. The results indicated that the tapering shape has an appropriate effect on the drivability of piles and although lower driving stresses are induced in the LWC tapered pile, their final penetration rate was more than that of CC cylindrical pile under hammer impact. Also by analyzing wave propagation in the different rods, it was concluded that the LWC piles with greater velocity than others had better performance in pile driving phenomena. Furthermore, LWC piles can be driven more easily into the ground than cylindrical concrete piles sometimes up to 50% lower hammer impacts and results in important energy saving.

• Earthquakes and Structures
• /
• v.23 no.6
• /
• pp.493-502
• /
• 2022

In recent decades, infrastructural development has exploded, particularly in the coastal region of Saudi Arabia. The rising demand of most consumed aggregate in construction can be effectively compensated by the alternative material like scoria which lavishly exists in the western region. Scoria is characterized as lightweight aggregate beneficially used to develop lightweight concrete (LWC) - a potential alternative of normal weight concrete (NWC) ensuring reduction in the structural element's size, increase in building height, comparatively lighter foundation, etc. Hence, the goal of this study is to incorporate scoria-based structural lightweight concrete and evaluate its impact on superstructure and foundation design beside contributing to the economy of construction. Fresh, mechanical, and rheological properties of the novel LWC have been investigated. The structural analyses employ the NWC as well as LWC based structures under seismic and wind loadings. The commercial finite element package - ETABS was employed to find out the change in structural responses and foundations. The cost estimation and SWOT analysis for superstructure and foundation have also been carried out. It was revealed that the developed LWC enabled a more flexible structural design. Notable reduction in the steel and concrete prices of LWC might be possible in the low-rise building. It is postulated that the cost-effective and eco-friendly LWC will promote the usage of scoria as an effective alternative in Saudi Arabia and GCC countries for structurally viable LWC construction.

• Advances in nano research
• /
• v.13 no.5
• /
• pp.499-512
• /
• 2022

This study investigates the efficiency of ensemble machine learning for predicting the lightweight-aggregate concrete (LWC) characteristics. A stacking ensemble (STEN) approach was proposed to estimate the dry density (DD) and 28 days compressive strength (Fc-28) of LWC using two meta-models called random forest regressor (RFR) and extra tree regressor (ETR), and two novel ensemble models called STEN-RFR and STEN-ETR, were constructed. Four standalone machine learning models including artificial neural network, gradient boosting regression, K neighbor regression, and support vector regression were used to compare the performance of the proposed models. For this purpose, a sum of 140 LWC mixtures with 21 influencing parameters for producing LWC with a density less than 1000 kg/m³, were used. Based on the experimental results with multiple performance criteria, it can be concluded that the proposed STEN-ETR model can be used to estimate the DD and Fc-28 of LWC. Moreover, the STEN-ETR approach was found to be a significant technique in prediction DD and Fc-28 of LWC with minimal prediction error. In the validation phase, the accuracy of the proposed STEN-ETR model in predicting DD and Fc-28 was found to be 96.79% and 81.50%, respectively. In addition, the significance of cement, water-cement ratio, silica fume, and aggregate with expanded glass variables is efficient in modeling DD and Fc-28 of LWC.

• Proceedings of the Korea Concrete Institute Conference
• /
• 2006.11a
• /
• pp.797-800
• /
• 2006

Normally, Structural light-weight aggregate concrete(LWC) has been main used in high rise building with the object of wight loss. In spite of LWC have the advantage of light-weight, limit the use of strength restrictions by reason that explosive spalling in fire. Especially, LWC is occurred serious fire performance deterioration by explosive spalling. Thus, this study is concerned with fire performance of LWC for the purpose of using PP fibers prevent to explosive spalling. From the experimental test result, LWC is happened explosive spalling.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Building Construction Conference
• /
• 2007.04a
• /
• pp.47-50
• /
• 2007

This study investigates the properties of light weight foamed concrete (LWC) designed with various content of fine grains (FG). Test showed that LWC containing diverse powder materials with addition, more than 15% of FG, tended to decrease the fluidity of fresh concrete. 10% of FG content in LWC exhibited 4mm in sinking depth, which is the lowest value. This value dramatically increased at more than 15% of addition. However the concrete incorporating LSP proportionally increased the sinking depth in overall. As for the strength, the values of all specimens were under standardization of KS, except for the concrete adding 5 and 10% of FG. Apparent density of LWC showed the lowest value when used 10% of FG which was satisfied the 0.5 grade in KS. For the thermal conductivity, it was also indicated at 0.5 grade in KS, which is under $0.160W/(m{\cdot}k)$. In conclusion, it is demonstrated that adding 10% of FG in LWC was effective in the aspects of recycling of materials, cost effectiveness and quality.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
• /
• v.24 no.3
• /
• pp.333-340
• /
• 2012

The current study prepared 9 laboratorial concrete mixes and 3 ready-mixed concrete batches to examine the size and shape effects in compression failure of lightweight aggregate concrete (LWC). The concrete mixes were classified into three groups: normal-weight, all-lightweight and sand-lightweight concrete groups. For each concrete mix, the aspect ratio of circular or square specimens was 1.0 and 2.0. The lateral dimension of specimens varied between 50 and 150 mm for each laboratorial concrete mix, whereas it ranged from 50 to 400 mm with an incremental variation of 50 mm for each ready-mixed concrete batch. Test observations revealed that the crack propagation and width of the localized failure zone developed in lightweight concrete specimens were considerably different than those of normal-weight concrete (NWC). In LWC specimens, the cracks mainly passed through the coarse aggregate particles and the crack distribution performance was very poor. As a result, a stronger size effect was developed in LWC than in NWC. Especially, this trend was more notable in specimens with aspect ratio of 2.0 than in specimens with that of 1.0. The prediction model derived by Kim et al. overestimated the size effect of LWC when lateral dimension of specimen is above 150 mm. On the other hand, the modification factors specified in ASTM and CEB-FIP provisions, which are used to compensate for the shape effect of specimen on compressive strength, were still conservative in LWC.

• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• v.34 no.4
• /
• pp.581-597
• /
• 2020

Light-Weight Concrete containing Expanded Poly-Styrene Beads (EPS-LWC) is an approved structural and non-structural material characterized by a considerably lower density and higher structural efficiency, compared to concrete containing ordinary aggregates. The experimental campaign carried out in this project provides new information on the mechanical properties of structural EPS-LWC, with reference to the strength and tension (by splitting and in bending), the modulus of elasticity, the stress-strain curve in unconfined compression, the absorbed energy under compression and reinforcement-concrete bond. The properties measured at seven ages since casting, from 3 days to 91 days, in order to investigate their in-time evolution. Mathematical relationships are formulated as well, between the previous properties and time, since casting. The dependence of the compressive strength on the other mechanical properties of EPS-LWC is also described through an empirical relationship, which is shown to fit satisfactorily the experimental results.

• Advances in materials Research
• /
• v.11 no.2
• /
• pp.147-164
• /
• 2022

This study aims to investigate the influence of scoria aggregate (SA) and silica fume (SF) as a replacement of conventional aggregate and ordinary Portland cement (OPC), respectively. Three types of concrete were prepared namely normal weight concrete (NWC) using limestone aggregate (LSA) and OPC (control specimen), lightweight concrete (LWC) using SA and OPC, and LWC using SA and partial SF (SLWC). The representative workability and compressive strength properties of the developed concrete were evaluated, and the results were correlated with non-destructive ultrasonic pulse velocity and Schmidt hammer tests. The LWC and SLWC yielded compressive strength of around 30 MPa and 33 MPa (i.e., 78-86% of control specimens), respectively. The findings indicate that scoria can be beneficially utilized in the development of structural lightweight concrete. Present renewable sources of aggregate will preserve the natural resources for next generation. The newly produced eco-friendly construction material is intended to break price barriers in all markets and draw attraction of incorporating scoria based light weight construction in Saudi Arabia and GCC countries. Findings of the SWOT analysis indicate that high logistics costs for distributing the aggregates across different regions in Saudi Arabia and clients' resistant to change are among the major obstacles to the commercialized production and utilization of lightweight concrete as green construction material. The findings further revealed that huge scoria deposits in Saudi Arabia, and the potential decrease in density self-weight of structural elements are the major drivers and enablers for promoting the adoption of lightweight concrete as alternative green construction material in the construction sector.

• Advances in concrete construction
• /
• v.15 no.3
• /
• pp.179-190
• /
• 2023

The effect of glass fibres (GF) and polypropylene fibres (PPF) on the fresh properties and mechanical properties of lightweight concrete (LWC) exposed to high temperatures is investigated in this study. In this study, fifteen LWC mixtures were carried out in three different groups reinforced with PPF or GF fibers by 0%, 0.2%, and 0.4% by volume of concrete. The first group included aluminum powder (AP) as an air agent at 0.03% with the normal weight coarse aggregate (NWCA) by 100% of the weight of coarse aggregate. In the second group, 33% of the NWCA weight was replaced by lightweight coarse aggregate (LWCA). In the third group, 67% of the NWCA weight was replaced by LWCA. The slump, unit weight, Compressive strength (CS), tensile strength (TS), and flexural strength (FS) were examined. For two hours, the CS and FS were subjected to elevated temperatures of 200℃, 400℃, and 600℃, in addition to microstructure analysis of concrete. In comparison to the reference mixture, the fresh properties and bulk density of LWC decreased with the use of the air agent or the replacement of 67% of the NWCA with LWCA. As a result of the fiber addition, both the slump test and the bulk density decreased. The addition of fibers increased the CS; the highest CS was 38.5 MPa when 0.4% GF was added, compared to 28.9 MPa for the reference mixture at the test age of 28 days. In addition, flexural and TS increased by 53% and 38%, respectively, for 0.4% GF mixes. As well as, adding 0.4% GF to LWC maintained a higher CS than other mixtures.

• International Journal of Concrete Structures and Materials
• /
• v.10 no.4
• /
• pp.425-434
• /
• 2016

In this experimental study, six post-tensioned light weight concrete (LWC) continuous one-way slabs were tested in the following manner: the flexural behaviors of the members were compared with the calculations from the existing standards. The test also examined the effect of prestressing in tendons and proper prestress conditions to reduce the deflection and crack width, and to enhance the flexural capacity and ductility of LWC members. Flexural capacity and stress increments in unbonded tendons of the specimens were compared with those of the simply supported normal and the lightweight concrete members. The suggested safety limit from the American Concrete Institute (ACI) regulation on the maximum capacity and the stress incremental in unbonded tendons were also compared with the test results under simple and continuous supporting conditions.