lightweight concrete manufacturers produce materials that reduce the weight of building constructions. These alternative construction materials are able to achieve the same compressive strength as standard concrete but have lower material density and hence lower cost for transportation. The main ingredients of lightweight concrete are alternative aggregates like expanded shale, perlite, clay or volcanic rock and a binding agent such as cement, fly ash or silica fume. These substitute for the standard aggregates used in regular concrete.
Structural lightweight concrete (LWC) is a concrete mixture with an in-place density of 90 to 115 lb/ft3 (1440 to 1840 kg/m3), compared with 140 to 150 lb/ft3 (2240 to 2400 kg/m3) for normal concrete. Its low density allows for easy installation, especially in high rise buildings and bridges. LWC also has good ductility and low tensile modulus, which can help with seismic design of structures.
In addition to reducing the overall building mass, this type of concrete can be produced with a low water/cement ratio and therefore has excellent thermal properties, allowing it to act as an effective insulation. It can also be mixed with steel reinforcement to provide better bonding and protection from corrosion.
Some of the structural concretes available are Leca, Agilite, Haydite and Rocklite. Besides these, there are many industrial products that can be used to make aerated concrete or gas concrete. Adding a gas or air entraining agent creates large voids in the mineral aggregate and makes the concrete lighter. The voids make the concrete self-compacting and it requires no flattening, while providing adequate thermal insulation and good mechanical performance.
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