Strength Properties of Lightweight Foamed Concrete with the Presence of Additives

Abstract

Foamed concrete was established for void filling and insulation purposes, but the interest is progressively changing towards structural characteristics in today’s society. This paper describes the results of experimental study that have been performed to investigate the effects of different densities and additives on the mechanical properties foamed concrete. Additionally, control foamed concrete samples with different densities (500kg/m³, 1000kg/m³ and 1500kg/m³) and different additives were prepared independently to study the impacts of densities and additives on the mechanical properties correspondingly. The foamed concrete specimens were prepared with locally available materials which are fuel ash, polypropylene fiber, silica fume and coconut fiber. This study has revealed that the compressive strength of foamed concrete was affected by its density due to the percentage of porosity. On the other hand, it was found that foamed concrete sample with coconut fiber yield better enhancement of the mechanical properties. Coconut fiber as reinforcement in foamed concrete is adequate and has high failure strain which can be able to provide a better compatibility between fibers and matrix. Output from this research would give better understanding of the potential utilization of waste by-products and natural fibres in foamed concrete. Foamed concrete can be used as a new energy-conservation and environmental-protection building material, particularly suitable for the construction of monolithic building envelope in Malaysia.