An Investigation on the Interfacial Transition Zone of Lightweight Aggregate Concrete

Abstract

The technique of linking the SEM photographs taken around the interfacial transition zone area is applied to observe the development of hydration products for lightweight aggregate and paste at the different curing ages. This research first determines the mixture proportions of the two types of concrete specimens with different aggregate unit weights. The lightweight aggregate used is the sludge kilned aggregate from Shihmen reservoir. The very small SEM samples to be observed are taken from the concrete compressive test specimens and must include both aggregate and paste. The research then observes the hydration products (such as CH, C-S-H) of calcium ion and the pozzolanic reaction on the samples. Finally it assesses if the aggregate will produce ion exchange with cement and generate the hydration products. The hydration products on either side of the interface with a range of 100μm are observed using 2000x magnification. From the results, it is found that (1) the development of hydration products of the lightweight aggregate concrete is similar to that of the normal-weight aggregate concrete, (2) the failure at the 91 days age is that the lightweight aggregate is sheared, (3) the bond stress of aggregate and paste is controlled by hydration products of paste, (4) the aggregate has not interacted with cement paste to produce hydration products, and (5) the development of hydration products proves that the amount of binder used in the concrete specimen will affects its compressive strength.