Effect of temperature curing on lightweight expanded clay aggregate concrete

Abstract

Lightweight Aggregate Concrete is usually a mix of Lightweight Aggregates and admixtures. This paper is focused on use of Lightweight Expanded Clay Aggregate (LECA) for the development of structural Lightweight Concrete. The present investigation was carried out by replacing LECA with 30% of Normal Weight Aggregate (NWA) with different water to binder (w/b) ratios to produce an M 30 grade Lightweight Expanded Clay Aggregate Concrete i.e. LECAC30 (30% LECA + 70% NWA). LECAC30 was cured with potable water at boiling temperature for different durations like 3hrs, 6hrs and 9hrs and the effect of temperature curing on early development of compressive strength of Lightweight Expanded Clay Aggregate Concrete was studied. The study also includes the improvement of compressive strength of LECAC30 under temperature curing with 10% addition of mineral admixture. The results obtained in this research conclude that, optimum duration for temperature curing at 100°c was obtained as 6 hrs, the addition of mineral admixture to LECAC30 resulted in an improvement of compressive strength and addition of mineral admixture had no significance in early development of compressive strength under temperature curing.