Thermal and Strength Properties of Lightweight Concretes with Variable Porosity Structures
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 30, Issue 12
Abstract
The thermal and strength properties and microstructural characteristics of lightweight composites composed of cement matrices aerated by various methods are evaluated. The influence of methods that increase the overall porosity of the cement composites and their overall effect on the thermal and strength properties of the composites are discussed. The porosity of the composites was increased using either an air-entraining admixture, reactive aluminum powder, or aerogel particles. The porosity distribution graphs determined by using mercury and optical porosimetry are presented. A discussion on the technical difficulties that arise during porosity evaluation of the composites with aerogel additive is reviewed. The increased porosity of individual composites results in a significant reduction of the thermal conductivity coefficients, . Relatively low values of were observed in concretes aerated with the air-entraining admixture and with aerogel particles. Simultaneously, none of the composites showed any significant decrease of the volumetric specific heat, . However, aeration of the composites brought about a strong reduction of the compressive strength. The biggest drops were observed for the concretes with air-entraining admixture.
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Acknowledgments
The research of lightweight cement composites was produced as a part of Research Project 2014/13/N/ST8/00091 and financed by the National Science Centre, Poland.
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Published In
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 30 • Issue 12 • December 2018
Copyright
©2018 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Dec 4, 2017
Accepted: Jun 25, 2018
Published online: Oct 1, 2018
Published in print: Dec 1, 2018
Discussion open until: Mar 1, 2019
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