Utilization potentials of a nano bio-carbonate filler to mitigate alkali-aggregate reactivity of glass powder–foamed concrete

Abstract

The present work aims to create an insight into the emergence of bio-based nanomaterials as a sustainable additive in cement-based structures. This paper addresses the alkali–aggregate reaction in foamed concrete (FC) containing nano cuttlebone powder as a bio-filler and glass powder as a cement replacement. Experimental results show that the expansion of FC depends on the foam volume, and the expansion values increase with increasing glass content. Relationship studies between the mechanical strength and the expansion values were done to indicate the impact of expansion on strength decrement. At normal conditions, nano bio-carbonate fillers functioned as inert fillers and mitigated the concrete expansion in the presence of alkali. Furthermore, energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis done on the FC mixes showed the effect of the decreasing CaO/SiO2 and Na2O/SiO2 ratios on increasing the mechanical strength, which indicated that nano bio-carbonate fillers can effectively reduce alkali–silica reaction in glass powder–FC.