Assessing the Effect of Density and Water–Cement Ratio on the Cement Utilisation, Fluidity, Mechanical Properties and Water Absorption of Foam Concrete | Chapter 8 | Engineering Research: Perspectives on Recent Advances Vol. 7

 

Foam Concrete, also known as bubble concrete, is a lightweight building material with a cellular structure and is usually composed of cement mortar and foam. For FC, the determination of density and the water–cement ratio not only indirectly determines the content of its components, but it also plays an important role in influencing the workability and mechanical properties of FC. This study analyse the influence of density and the water–cement (W/C) ratio on the slurry fluidity, compressive strength, and water absorption of foamed concrete (FC) and its mechanism of action, with the aim of proposing an optimal mix ratio for FC to reduce cement usage and carbon emissions in the construction industry and ensure the good overall performance of FC. In this experiment, two groups of experiments were designed using the control variable method. The compressive strength of the FC block was tested using a uniaxial compression test, and the UPV and rebound value of the FC block were tested through nondestructive testing. The water absorption rate of the FC test block was tested. Fluidity and uniaxial compression tests showed that when the density was 600 kg/m3 and the W/C ratio was 0.6, the FC slurry had maximum fluidity, but its mechanical properties were poor, and it collapsed easily. Conversely, by analysing the uniaxial compressive strength/cement (UCS/C) ratio, it was observed that the mix ratio had a maximum cement utilisation rate (W/C ratio) of 0.5 and a density of 1000 kg/m3. The final analysis showed that the optimal mix ratio of FC in this test was W/C = 0.5, with a density of 1000 kg/m3. The results of this experiment can be used as a reference for basic experimental research in the field of foamed concrete. Further experiments are needed to investigate the effects of density and W/C ratio on other types of concrete, as well as to determine whether the working performance of foam concrete will change in actual construction environments.

 

Author(s) Details

Alipujiang Jierula
College of Architecture and Engineering, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830046, China and Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Building Structure and Earthquake Resistance, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830046, China.

 

Haodong Li
College of Architecture and Engineering, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830046, China.

 

Yang Chen
College of Architecture and Engineering, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830046, China.

 

Cong Wu
College of Architecture and Engineering, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830046, China and Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Building Structure and Earthquake Resistance, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830046, China.

 

Xiao Wu
College of Architecture and Engineering, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830046, China.

 

Hanlin Yin
College of Architecture and Engineering, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830046, China.

 

Please see the book here:- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/erpra/v7/5591