Study of the properties in the fresh and hardened state of self-compacting lightweight concrete

Abstract

The technology of Self-compacting Concrete (SCC) has brought great advancement to construction techniques, allowing significant growth in the use of concrete also combining with the technology of Lightweight Concrete (LWC). This study searched to demonstrate the performance of a Self-compacting Lightweight Concrete (SCLC), using expanded clay to replace conventional aggregates with structural strength that meets current Brazilian’s standards (ABNT). Two mixtures were produced: a) with total replacement of coarse aggregate and; b) with partial replacement of fine aggregate and total of coarse aggregate. The properties in the fresh and hardened states were evaluated. The SCLCs produced in this work showed a significant improvement in the properties of the fresh state, compared to the control SCCs. In the hardened state, despite the drop in resistance to mechanical stresses, it was possible to obtain a concrete with good efficiency factor, with density between 1,550 kg/m3 and 1,790 kg/m3 and compressive strengths between 25.0 and 35.0 MPa. It can also be concluded that the ratio of the modulus of elasticity by the axial compressive strength showed adequate linearity between the types of concrete evaluated.