THE EFFECT OF PUMICE AND SCORIA ON THE PROPERTIES OF LIGHT WEIGHT CONCRETE

Abstract

Light weight concrete is widely used in various civil engineering fields due to its low density compared to normal conventional concrete. Compared with normal weight concrete, lightweight concrete can significantly reduce the dead load of structural elements, which makes it especially attractive in multi-story buildings. The main aim of the present study was investigating engineering properties of light weight concrete using pumice and scoria as coarse aggregates. The mix design is carried out for C-20 grade concrete mixes; the coarse aggregate proportion is partially replaced by blended aggregates (pumice and scoria) in various percentages by weight. Coarse aggregate was replaced with pumice and scoria in weight percentages of 12.5%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100. The properties like fresh and hard, destructive and non-destructive of above combinations were studied and compared with conventional concrete mix design. The experimental results showed that the partial replacement of coarse aggregate proportion with 75% normal aggregate, 25% scoria (AS), 50% normal aggregate, 50% scoria (AS1), 25% normal aggregate, 75% scoria (AS2) and 75% normal aggregate 12.5% of pumice and 12.5% of scoria aggregates (APS) have given the optimum proportion among the proportions tested for the properties studied in the present investigation.