TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION HISTORY WHAT IS LIGHTWEIGHT CONCRETE classification OF LIGHT WEIGHT CONCRETE TYPES OF LIGHT WEIGHT AGGREGATE Properties of Lightweight Aggregates light weight concrete USED IN INDIA Advantages and Disadvantages of Lightweight Concrete Government of India about light weight concrete CLASSIFICATION and production OF LIGHT WEIGHT CONCRETE in India Major characteristics of Cellular lightweight concrete CONCLUSION

Introduction
Concrete is a plastic medium and has incredible potential for creating fluid, sculptural forms. It should be admitted that some of the dullest structures around us are made of concrete but dullness isn't a limitation inherent in the material. Light weight concrete differs from heavy concrete by it's use of naturally light weight materials (aggregates) such as pumice (volcanic stone) in place of the sand and gravel used in ordinary structural concrete mixes. It only weighs half as much. Not all concrete is ugly, hard, cold and difficult to work with. There exists a whole range of light weight concretes "which have a density and compressive strength very similar to wood. They are easy to work with, can be nailed with ordinary nails, cut with a saw, drilled with woodworking tools, and easily repaired. We believe that ultra-light weight concrete is one of the most fundamental bulk building materials of the future."

HISTORY
Lightweight concrete has been used since the eighteen centuries by the Romans. The application on the The Pantheon where it uses pumice aggregate in the construction of cast in-situ concrete is the proof of its usage. In USA and England in the late nineteenth century, clinker was used in their construction for example the British Museum and other low cost housing. The lightweight concrete was also used in construction during the First World War. The United States used mainly for shipbuilding and concrete blocks. The foamed blast furnace-slag and pumice aggregate for block making were introduced in England and Sweden around 1930s. Nowadays with the advancement of technology, lightweight concrete expands its uses. For example, in the form of perlite with its outstanding insulating characteristics. It is widely used as loose-fill insulation
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in masonry construction where it enhances fire ratings, reduces noise transmission, does not rot and termite resistant. It is also used for vessels, roof decks and other applications Light weight concrete is about one half the weight of hard structural concrete. It can be mixed from a variety of light weight aggregates including vermiculite, perlite, scoria, and pumice. Some form of suitable aggregate is available most everywhere in the world. Our locally available aggregate here in San Miguel is a type of pumice (espumilla or arenilla) which we typically mix 8:1 or 10:1 (by volume) with cement for walls, and 5:1 for roofs. Most lightweight concrete has a good R-value and is a good insulator of heat and sound. It is used as soundproofing in subway stations. It has tremendous sculptural possibilities and is ideal for monolithic, wall-roof construction.

Lightweight concrete, weighing from 35 to 115 pound per cubic foot, has been used in the United States for more than 50 years. The compressive strength is not as great as ordinary concrete, but it weathers just as well. Among its advantages are less need for structural steel reinforcement, smaller foundation requirements, better fire resistance and most importantly, the fact that it can serve as an insulation material! It can cost more that sand and gravel concrete, and it may shrink more upon drying.

WHAT IS LIGHTWEIGHT CONCRETE

Lightweight concrete can be defined as a type of concrete which includes an expanding agent in that it increases the volume of the mixture while giving additional qualities such as nailability and lessened the dead weight. It is lighter than the conventional concrete with a dry density of 300 kg/m3 up to 1840 kg/m3; 87 to 23%lighter Lightweight concrete has been used in USA for more than 50 years. Its strength is roughly proportional to its weight and its resistance to weathering is about the same as that of ordinary concrete. As compared with the usual sand and gravel concrete it has certain advantages and disadvantages. Among the former are the savings in structural steel supports and decreased foundation sizes because of decreased loads, and better fire resistance and insulation against heat and sound. Its disadvantages include greater cost (30 to 50 percent), need for more care in placing, greater porosity, and more drying shrinkage. The principal use of lightweight concrete in Bureau work is in construction of underbeds for floors and roof slabs, where substantial savings can be effected by decreasing dead load. It is also used in some insulated sections of floors and walls. Lightweight concrete may be obtained through use of lightweight aggregates, as discussed in the following sections, or by special methods of production. These methods include the use of foaming agents, such as aluminum powder, which produces concrete of low unit weight through generation of gas while the concrete is still plastic. Lightweight concrete may weigh from 35 to 115 pounds per cubic foot, depending on the type of lightweight aggregate used or the method of production. In Bureau construction, lightweight concretes have been limited to those whose lightness depends on inorganic aggregates which are light in weight. Lightweight concrete may be made by using lightweight aggregates, or by the use of foaming agents, such as aluminum powder, which generates gas while
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the concrete is still plastic. Natural lightweight aggregates include pumice, scoria, volcanic cinders, tuff, and diatomite. Lightweight aggregate can also be produced by heating clay, shale, slate, diatomaceous shale, perlite, obsidian, and vermiculite. Industrial cinders and blast-furnace slag that has been specially cooled can also be used

TYPES OF LIGHT WEIGHT AGGREGATE

Lightweight aggregates are produced by expanding clay, shale, slate, diatomaceous shale, perlite, obsidian, and vermiculite through application of heat; by expanding blast-furnace slag through special cooling processes; from natural deposits of pumice, scoria, volcanic cinders, tuff, and diatomite; and from industrial cinders. Lightweight aggregates are sold under various trade names. (a) Cinders - Cinders used as aggregates are residues from hightemperature combustion of coal or coke in industrial furnaces. Cinders from other sources are not considered suitable. The Underwriters Laboratories limit the average combustible content of mixed fine and coarse cinders for manufacturing precast blocks to not more than 35 percent by weight of the dry, mixed aggregates. Sulfides in the cinders should be less than 0.45 percent and sulfate should be less than 1 percent. Stockpiling of cinders to permit washing away of undesirable sulphur compounds is recommended. Cinders have been used in concrete construction with satisfactory results for more than 50 years. Cinder concrete weighs about 85 pounds per cubic foot, but when natural sand is used to increase workability in monolithic construction the weight is from 110 to 115 pounds per cubic foot. (b) Expanded Slag - Expanded slag aggregates are produced by treating blast-furnace slag with water. The molten slag is run into pits containing
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controlled quantities of water or is broken up by mechanical devices and subjected to sprays or streams of water. The products are fragments that have been vesiculated by steam. The amount of water used has a pronounced influence on the products, which may vary over wide ranges in strength and weight. Concrete in which the aggregate is expanded slag only has unit weights ranging from 75 to 110 pounds per cubic foot. (c) Expanded Shale and Clay - All expanded shale and clay aggregates are made by heating prepared materials to the fusion point where they become soft and expand because of entrapped expanding gases. With the exception of one product made from shale, the raw material is processed to the desired size before it is heated. In some cases the particles are coated with a material of higher fusion point to prevent agglomeration during heating. In general, concrete made with expanded shale or clay aggregates ranges in weight from 90 to 110 pounds per cubic foot. (d) Natural Aggregate - Pumice, scoria, volcanic cinders, tuff, and diatomite are rocks that are light and strong enough to be used as lightweight aggregate without processing other than crushing and screening to size. Of these, diatomite is the only one which is not of volcanic origin. Pumice is the most widely used of the natural lightweight aggregates. It is a porous, froth-like volcanic glass which is usually white-gray to yellow in color, but may be red, brown, or even black. It is found in large beds in the Western United States and is produced as a lightweight aggregate in several States, among which are California, Oregon, and New Mexico. Concrete made with sound pumice aggregate weighs from 90 to 100 pounds per cubic foot. Structurally weak pumice having high absorption characteristics may be improved in quality by calcining at temperatures near the point of fusion. Scoria is a vesicular glassy volcanic rock. Deposits are found in New Mexico, Idaho, and other Western States. Scoria resembles industrial cinders and is usually red to black in color. Very satisfactory lightweight concrete, weighing from 90 to 110 pounds per cubic foot, can be made from scoria.

When obsidian is heated to the temperature of fusion, gases are released which expand the material. The interiors of the expanded particles are vesicular and the surfaces are smooth and quite impervious. Expanded obsidian has been produced experimentally. The raw material was crushed and screened to size and coated with a fine material of higher melting point to prevent agglomeration. The rock from which perlite lightweight aggregate is manufactured has a structure resembling tiny pearls compacted and bound together. When perlite is heated quickly it expands with disruptive force and breaks into small expanded particles. Usually, expanded perlite is produced only in the sand sizes. Concrete made with expanded perlite has a unit weight ranging from 50 to 80 pounds per cubic foot. It is a very good insulating material. Vermiculite is an alteration product of biotite and other micas. It is found in California, Colorado, Montana, and North and South Carolina. The color is yellowish to brown. On calcination, vermiculite expands at right angles to the cleavage and becomes a fluffy mass, the volume of which is as much as 30 times that of the material before heating. It is a very good insulating material and is used extensively for that purpose. Concrete made with expanded vermiculite aggregate weighs from 35 to 75 pounds per cubic foot; the strengths range from 50 to 600 pounds per square inch.

Properties of Lightweight Aggregates

Properties of various lightweight aggregates, as reflected by those of the resulting concrete, vary greatly. For example:Strength: - Strength of concrete made with expanded shale and clay is relatively high and compares favorably with that of ordinary concrete. Pumice, scoria, and some expanded slags produce a concrete of intermediate strength; perlite, vermiculite, and diatomite produce a concrete of very low strength. insulation properties:- The insulation properties of the low-strength concretes, however, are better than those of the heavier, stronger concretes. The insulation value of the heaviest material (crushed shale and clay concrete) is about four times that of ordinary concrete. shrinkage :-All the lightweight aggregates, with the exception of expanded shales and clays and scoria, produce concretes subject to high shrinkage. NAILING AND SAWING :-Most of the lightweight concretes have better nailing and sawing properties than do the heavier and stronger conventional concretes. However, nails, although easily driven, fail to hold in some of these lighter concretes.

DURABILITY OF LWC
Durability is defined as the ability of a material to withstand the effect of its environment. In a building material as chemical attack, physical stress, and mechanical assault:1. Chemical attack is as aggregate ground-water particularly sulphate, polluted air, and spillage of reactive liquids LWC has no special resistant to these agencies: indeed, it is generally move porous than the ordinary
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Portland cement. It is not recommended for use below damp-course. A chemical aspects of durability is the stability of the material itself, particularly at the presence of moisture. 2. Physical stresses to which LWC is exposed are principally frost action and shrinkage and temperature stresses. Stressing may be due to the drying shrinkage of the concrete or to differential thermal movements between dissimilar materials or to other phenomena of a similar nature. Drying shrinkage commonly causes cracking of LWC if suitable precautions are not taken. 3. Mechanical damage can result from abrasion or impact excessive loading of flexural members. The lightest grades of LWC are relatively soft so that they subject to some abrasion were they not for other reasons protected by rendering.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Lightweight Concrete

ADVANTAGES Reduced dead load of wet concrete allows longer span to be poured unpropped. This save both labour and circle time for each floor.

Reduction of dead load, faster building rates and lower haulage and handling costs. The eight of the building in term of the loads transmitted by the foundations is an important factor in design, particular for the case of tall buildings. The use of LWC has sometimes made its possible to proceed with the design which otherwise would have been abandoned because of excessive weight. In frame structures, considerable savings in cost can be brought about by using LWC for the construction floors, partition and external cladding.

Most building materials such as clay bricks the haulage load is limited not by volume but by weight. With suitable design containers much larger volumes of LWC can haul economically.

A less obvious but nonetheless important characteristics of LWC is its relatively low thermal conductivity, a property which improves with decreasing density in recent years, with the increasing cost and scarcity of
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energy sources, more attention has been given the formerly to the need for reducing fuel consumption while maintaining, and indeed improving, comfort conditions buildings. The point is illustrated by fact that a 125mm thick solid wall of aerated concrete will give thermal insulation about four times greater than that of a 230mm clay brick wall. DISADVANTAGES Very sensitive with water content in the mixtures Difficult to place and finish because of the porosity and angularity of the aggregate. In some mixes the cement mortar may separate the aggregate and float towards the surface Mixing time is longer than conventional concrete to assure proper mixing

light weight concrete USED IN INDIA

EABASSOC Foamed Concrete is used for making lightweight blocks in India, China and Thailand. The lightweight foamed concrete blocks are mainly used to build partition walls. The lightweight nature of the blocks means that they impose a minimum loading on the building. Foamed concrete blocks also provide good thermal insulation and sound insulation. Setting up a foamed (cellular/CLC) concrete block making factory requires a minimum financial outlay for equipment. Blocks can be made with virtually any dimension. EABASSOC Foamed Concrete has low water absorption and a closed cell structure. When it rains water does not pass through the foamed concrete. When paster is applied to foamed concrete walls, water remains in the plaster so that the plaster does not crack, which it can do with other types of block.

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Government of India about light weight concrete

The Govt. of India has supported the effort of improving the environment, through conversion of waste into useful building product, by providing some import concession. This has enabled even normal walling masonry done using these Cellular Light-weight Concrete blocks, to complete favorably with conventional clay brick alternative. There are different types of light-weight concretes available internationally even in India. They are a very useful building products, helping to reduce dead weight of the structures and accelerating pace of construction, when used as pre-cast elements for walling and flooring etc. Unfortunately the basic cost of the product, as delivered to the project site, has so far been too high to be offset by the economic gain accuring due to speed and lighter structure. It is for this reason, that the normally available varieties of light-weight concrete in India have not proved very successfully. It is, however, reported with some satisfaction, that work initiated in the country in the recent past, to improve environment friendliness of one of the relatively simpler international technologies of producing this light-weight concrete, has yielded encouraging results. This simpers technology has been made to be more environment friendly by incorporating use of fly-ash, as one of the major (over 25% by weight) constituent.

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CLASSIFICATION LIGHT WEIGHT CONCRETE and production OF LIGHT WEIGHT CONCRETE in India :
The commonly known types of Light-weight Concrete are; (a) Plant produced aerated concrete versions manufacture using combination of Cement, Lime, Pulverized sand, Flash and an aeration agent.The process requires heavy investment in plant and machinery including high-pressure steam curing autoclaves. Some of the internationally known patented technologies are being offered by "Siprex", "Yutong", "Celerate", Dorstener" etc. (b) Concrete produced with the use of naturally mined Light-weight aggregates (Bulk density in the range of 880 kg/m3) or or manmade light weight aggregates like "Aardelite", Lytag" (Bulk density 800 kg/m3). Normally cured Cellular Lightweight Concrete (CLC) based on use of Cement, Sand and pre-formed stable foam from patented "Neopor" Foaming Agent. The first involves setting up of plants with an optimum capacity of 400-500 M3/day. Four such plants have been set-up in India, out of which two have discontinued production. In the case of second, the alternative of natural aggregate has very limited application, due to non-availability of appropriate raw materials at most locations. The alternative of man made aggregate, as per available know-how, again involves heavy investment in plant and equipment

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and high temperature (1300C) furnace for sintering. This would in addition mean substantial energy consumption. The third alternative, involving least investment and making use of ordinary concrete making equipment at a project site with normal water spray curing, has a better appeal for a developing country environment. This process based on pre-formed foam, as per technology of "Neopor" of Germany is being successfully used in over 45 countries of the world for the last 25-years.

New fly-ash based version of cellular ligh-weight concrete

The light-weight concrete, that is now finding wide scale acceptance with major builders on all India basis, is slightly more environment friendly. The processing is exactly the same as per the "Neopor" system, except that fly-ash of specified quality, constitute an additional input material. The fly-ash content is between one third to one fourth of total dry raw materials, depending on the target density of the final product. This fly-ash partially substitutes for the cement and sand in the original "Neopor" mixes, thereby also saving on costs.The ability of the contractor to easily produce the material himself, at the project site, using normal concrete making equipment (supplemented with a 'Neopor" Foam Generator) and ordinary labour and water spray cured at ambient temperature, is a major advantage. It saves him on the transportation, breakage and taxation incidence and gives him complete control over his critical input. The production could easily be matched to the consumption requirements of the project.

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Major characteristics of Cellular light-weight concrete

This Cellular Light-weight Concrete (CLS) is a far more versatile material, than the other versions. The salient characteristics of the materials are:

Can be produced in wider density range: It is feasible to produce this

material in a wide range of controlled densities varying from 400 kg/m3 to 1,800 kg/m3. The built-in control mechanism in the "Neopor" Foam Generator ensure and accuracy of 5% in the target density. This diversity of density is not feasible in the other two versions stated. Above. Diverse Applications of CLC: The lower density range of 400-600 kg/m3 is used as insulation over roofs or in cold storage or as filling in sunken areas of floors. The range of 800-1000 kg/m3 is good for making nonload-bearing cladding panels or pre-cast blocks for nonstructural filler wall masonry. The density range of 1.200-1,800 kg/m3 (having 28-day cube crushing strength of 65 kg/cm2) is used in the form of structural elements-either as reinforced components or in the form of block-work for load bearing walling masonry. Closed cellular structure : The intrinsic structure of the CLC has tiny sized unconnected individual air bubbles, uniformly spread over the body of the material. It may be worthwhile mentioning that in the case of autoclaved blocks invariably produced using aeration process, the lightness is achieved due to interconnected air channels, just like a cake produced in an oven using baking powder. Pre-cast or In-situ : Since CLC is produced like an ordinary concrete, it may be Cast into pre-cast blocks or pre-cast reinforced panels for walling, Fascia, rooting etc. or Poured in-situ, into appropriately reinforced dwelling unit or specific structural element in a building. Lower water absorption : As a consequence of closed cellular structure of the material, the water absorption of CLC is lower, being in the range of 5% to 12%,
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depending on density. This is much better than the water absorption of over 45% exhibited by the factory made. Autoclaved Aerated Blocks or 18% to 23% permissible for the light-weight aggregate blocks as per I.S. 2185 (Part II)-1989. In view of better resistance to water penetration, it is not obligatory to pre-coat steel bars in reinforces elements, which is mandatory for the aerated autoclaved version. A higher concrete cover, than specified for normal reinforced concrete is, however, recommended. Ease of production : As already stated above, it is very easy to produce CLC at any project site. It can also be easily produced in hilly areas or in deserts since it has limited requirement of input materials. Other advantages of CLC Cost competitiveness In view of much lower investment in Plant & Equipment (being less than 5% of investment required for a full fledged Aerated Autoclaved Block plant) clubbed with on site production, the cost of CLC works out to be in the range of 50-65% of the corresponding delivered cost of factory produced alternative. In view of larger size of CLC blocks (being 600/500x300/250x200/100 mm), as against Ordinary Clay Bricks (230x115x75 mm) and much lighter in weight, the cost of plaster finished CLC block masonry walls, works out as competitive, as the equivalent plaster finished brick alternatives, analysed as per DSR'97. Light-weight with superior thermal and sound insulation : This CLC is much lighter in weight than ordinary bricks or dense concrete blocks. This can result in substantial savings in structural and foundation costs of high rise structures, if walling masonry of bricks/concrete hollow blocks is substituted with CLC block masonry or panels. CLC is also four to five times more efficient thermally. Ease of working with CLC: CLC blocks can be sawn like timber. Cutting chases for electric conduits or water lines is very easy. In fact it can be done very fast with the help of chase-cutting machine. One can easily drive nails into CLC, just as in timber. The fixing of Door/Window frames can easily be done in dry state, by means of anchor bolts, thus avoiding the necessity of wet fixing of anchor fasteners.
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As a result of the above, the speed of work with use of CLC blocks or reinforced panels is much higher. Environmental friendly : In view of fly-ash being 26% to 33% constituent of this material, it is helping to convert a nuisance - creating industrial waste into a useful building product. Moreover, acting as a highly competitive substitute for the clay bricks in walling masonry, it is helping to save depletion of fertile top-soil in brick making, thus helping the country to meet the other basic need of agricultural production. Saving on energy and reducing pollution : The factory production of lightweight concrete in the form of blocks or light-weight aggregate, warrants high energy inputs. Likewise, coal is needed for baking of ordinary clay bricks. Since the CLC matures at ambient temperature with water spray, it saves on energy and also avoids the environmental pollution created by chimneys of the brick kilns. CLC gains strength with time : It would be worth while mentioning that this CLC, being a type of normal concrete gains strength with time, so long as it can draw some moisture from the atmosphere. That is not true of the alternative of autoclaved material of ordinary brick, which deteriorate with time. Field applications Some of the major construction agencies have got increased in the material and they have started producing and using it for different applications, in project all over the country. It is estimated, that since introduction of this material about three years ago, nearly 5 million ft. of constructions must have been completed with the use of this material. CLC block-work masonry in high rise buildings: One of the major applications, that this material, in the density range of 800-1, 000 kg/m3, has found, has been as internal and external walling masonry in multistorey buildings. Block-work made with blocks of size 600x250x190/90 mm
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has substituted conventional clay brick masonry. One Delhi based company, which initiated use of this material, has totally switched over to use of this material for their dwelling blocks, rising upto 27 floors above ground level. The Chairman of the group, in a press conference, has confirmed definite savings in construction cost by substituting brickwork by this CLC block-work. Similar applications have been done in the construction of super deluxe hotels and office/residential blocks at Chennai and Bangalore. Roof Insulation & Filling on Suspended Floors: There has been extensive application of this CLC in the lower density ranges as insulation against heat and provision drainage slope on roofs of offices, hotels and residential apartments in Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad. The material has also found favour as a in-situ filling material in depressions in the floors or as a sound barrier between suspended structural floors, in super deluxe hotels at Chennai and Bangalore. Reinforced CLC as load bearing structural elements: In an application for four storey high EWS housing in Phase-IV of DLF-city. Gurgaon, two group housing blocks of 64 dwelling units, had their 150 mm thick reinforced load bearing CLC walls, poured in-situ for full storey height. CLC of density varying from 1,800 kg/m3 for the ground floor walls to 1,200 kg/m3 for the fourth storey was used, to cater to varying structural strength requirements. All suspended floors slabs were cast in-situ using normal reinforced cement concrete.

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Conclusion
The deliberations above conclusively establish, that air cured fly-ash based Cellular light-weight concrete to be a far superior alternative to factory made aerated concrete or manmade light-weight aggregate blocks. This CLC is even a better alternative to ordinary clay bricks for walling masonry. Moreover, CLC has other diverse applications and properties, some of which cannot be offered by the conventional alternatives. Above all, it is an environment friendly and energy efficient material, which is the need of the day. The promotional efforts of national agencies like BMTPC, HUDCO< NTPC, fly-ash Mission and the provision for custom duty exemption by the Govt. of India, is for a just and worthy cause. It is therefore, no surprise that more and more builders are progressively opting for this material in their constructions.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

I. Concrete technology by Neville &

Brookes

II. Concrete technology by Bahl & Bahl

III. www.flyingconcrete.com/index.htm

IV. www.greenhomebuilding.com

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