Title:
Mixture Proportioning Methodology for Structural Sand-Lightweight
Concrete
Author(s):
Carlos Videla and Mauricio Lo´pez
Publication:
Materials Journal
Volume:
97
Issue:
3
Appears on pages(s):
281-289
Keywords:
aggregate; compressive strength; concretes; density (dry);
expanded shale (clay); lightweight aggregate; mixture; proportioning;
slump; sand-lightweight concrete.
DOI:
10.14359/4623
Date:
5/1/2000
Abstract:
The main objective of the present research was to develop a general proportioning methodology for structural sand-lightweight concrete (SLC). The study considers the lightweight aggregate concrete as a two-phase material. The first one, composed of cement, water and siliceous natural sand is called the resistant phase, and contributes to the structural strength. The second one is the lightweight phase, con-stituted by coarse lightweight aggregate, and is meant to decrease the concrete density. The application of this approach appears to be feasi-ble because the transition zone would not be a limiting factor for the strength development on these types of concrete. An extensive experimental program was carried out, including 47 trial mixtures, in which the type and proportion of each one of the phases were varied to analyze the principal factors directly affecting the SLC properties. Cubic and cylindrical compressive strength tests at 3, 7, and 28 days were performed, as well as modulus of elasticity tests at 7 and 28 days. Density, compressive strength, and modulus of elasticity tests in air-dry conditions were carried out. Workability (slump), freshly mixed density, and air content tests were also per-formed. The obtained results allow for the proposition of relationships between the proportioning variables and the objective or design variables: slump, compressive strength, and density of concrete. An SLC mixture proportion methodology that allows the use of a wide range of light-weight aggregates and applications is presented. In the proposed methodology the lightweight aggregate content is determined by den-sity requirements: the water dosage by the specified slump; the freshly mixed density; and the grading of the total aggregate. The strength and proportions of the phases and the specified compressive strength control the cement content. Finally, the siliceous natural sand content is determined by the condition that the absolute volume of the mixture must be 1m 3 . An easy measured index representing the structural capacity of the lightweight aggregate is also proposed.