Abstract
This study investigated the performance of the properties of foamed concrete in replacing volumes of cement of 10%, 15% and 20% by weight. A control unit of foamed concrete mixture made with ordinary Portland cement (OPC) and 10%, 15% and 20% silica fume was prepared. Three mechanical property parameters were studied such as compressive strength, flexural strength and splitting tensile of foamed concrete with different percentages of silica fume. Silica fume is commonly used to increase the mechanical properties of concrete materials and it is also chosen due to certain economic reasons. The foamed concrete used in this study was cured at a relative humidity of 70% and a temperature of ±28°C. The improvement of mechanical properties was due to a significant densification in the microstructure of the cement paste matrix in the presence of silica fume hybrid supplementary binder as observed from micrographs obtained in the study. The overall results showed that there is a potential to utilize silica fume in foamed concrete, as there was a noticeable enhancement of thermal and mechanical properties with the addition of silica fume.
Highlights
For the past few years, the construction industry has shown noteworthy attention in the utilization of lightweight foamed concrete as a building material due to its many favourable characteristics such as lighter weight, ease of fabrication, durability and cost effectiveness [1,2]
Results from tests indicate that the compressive strength of foamed concrete is primarily a function of dry density and is only minimally affected by the percentage of cement replaced by silica fume
It can be concluded that replacing high proportions of cement with silica fume does not significantly affect the long-term compressive strength of well-cured foamed concrete
Summary
For the past few years, the construction industry has shown noteworthy attention in the utilization of lightweight foamed concrete as a building material due to its many favourable characteristics such as lighter weight, ease of fabrication, durability and cost effectiveness [1,2]. Foamed concrete is a material consisting of Portland cement paste with a homogeneous pore structure created by introducing air in the form of small bubbles [3]. With a controlled dosage of foam and proper methods of production, a wide range of densities (400 – 1600 kg/m3) of foamed concrete can be produced, providing flexibility for application such as for structural elements, partitions, insulating materials and filling grades [4,5]. Its good thermal and acoustic performance indicates its strong potential as a material in building construction [7].
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