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Advances in Lightweight Aggregate Concrete
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Advances in Lightweight Aggregate Concrete

A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2019) | Viewed by 24620

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Alexandre Bogas

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Department of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Georesources, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
2. Civil Engineering Research and Innovation for Sustainability (CERIS), University of Lisbon, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal
Interests: new building materials; cement-based materials; low-carbon cements; special concretes; sustainability; service life
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Lightweight aggregate concrete (LWAC), usually characterized by densities less than 2000 kg/m3 and thermal conductivity coefficients up to 1.0 W/m °C, is a lighter and more energy efficient alternative solution to normal weight concrete. The high potential of LWAC has been recognized, especially when the self-weight is a determinant factor, such as in long-span bridges, shell structures of high slenderness and complicated shapes, skyscrapers, and building rehabilitation. Moreover, LWAC may result in more sustainable solutions due to its better insulating properties, lower transportation requirements, and lower demolition impact.

Although LWAC in buildings dates back to the old Indus Valley and Romans civilizations, it appears with relevance only in the second half of the twentieth century. Since then, LWAC has been subjected to ongoing technologic and scientific developments, especially in the last years with the technological development of high-performance concrete, the research and application of new additives and cementitious materials, the advances in manufacturing new lightweight aggregates (LWA), the growing interest in using lightweight concrete for offshore rigs and the more exigent durability, sustainability and applicability requirements of concrete have all contributed to a new generation of LWAC. This is why research has intensified and new advances in LWAC have been progressively attained.

However, despite research efforts, knowledge is still limited and some topics are the focus of ongoing investigation, such as special LWAC (ultra-high strength, high-performance, self-compacting, fiber-reinforced, incorporation of advanced cementitious materials), LWAC with alternative recycled or more sustainable LWA, durability and service lifetime assessment, structural design, long-term deformation, internal curing, and thermal efficiency of LWAC.

This Special Issue will present some of the latest developments and advances in lightweight aggregate concrete, concerning its technology, production, use, general performance, and new emerging solutions. Original papers dealing with new advances in LWAC are welcome, namely involving manufacture, material properties, mix design, fresh, and hardened behavior of concrete, durability, service life assessment, structural design, testing, modeling, sustainability, repair and maintenance, composite solutions, and new emerging types of LWA and LWAC. The main objective is to present some of the most recent research in the field of LWAC, to foster a better understanding and greater confidence in using LWAC, and highlight the remaining challenges and future perspectives for LWAC

 

Dr. J. Alexandre Bogas
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Materials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Lightweight aggregate
  • Lightweight concrete
  • Manufacture
  • Durability
  • Service lifetime
  • High-performance
  • Self-compacting
  • Fiber-reinforced
  • Mix design
  • Structural design
  • Rheology
  • Hardened behavior
  • Long-term deformation
  • Internal curing
  • Thermal efficiency
  • Cementitious materials
  • Sustainability

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 2645 KiB  
Article
Deformation Analysis of Reinforced Beams Made of Lightweight Aggregate Concrete
by Darius Bacinskas, Deividas Rumsys, Aleksandr Sokolov and Gintaris Kaklauskas
Materials 2020, 13(1), 20; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13010020 - 19 Dec 2019
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2813
Abstract
In the present trend of constructing taller and longer structures, the application of lightweight aggregate concrete is becoming an increasingly important advanced solution in the modern construction industry. In engineering practice, the analysis of lightweight concrete elements is performed using the same algorithms [...] Read more.
In the present trend of constructing taller and longer structures, the application of lightweight aggregate concrete is becoming an increasingly important advanced solution in the modern construction industry. In engineering practice, the analysis of lightweight concrete elements is performed using the same algorithms that are applied for normal concrete elements. As an alternative to traditional engineering methods, nonlinear numerical algorithms based on constitutive material models may be used. The paper presents a comparative analysis of curvature calculations for flexural lightweight concrete elements, incorporating analytical code methods EN 1992-1 and ACI 318-19, as well as a numerical analysis using the constitutive model of cracked tensile lightweight concrete recently proposed by the authors. To evaluate the adequacy of the theoretical predictions, experimental data of 51 lightweight concrete beams of five different programs reported in the literature were collected. A comparison of theoretical and experimental results showed that the most accurate predictions are obtained using numerical analysis and the constitutive model proposed by the authors. In the future, the latter algorithm can be used as a reliable tool for improving the design standard methods or numerical modeling of lightweight concrete elements subjected to short-term loading. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Lightweight Aggregate Concrete)
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22 pages, 8732 KiB  
Article
Proposing a New Method Based on Image Analysis to Estimate the Segregation Index of Lightweight Aggregate Concretes
by Afonso Miguel Solak, Antonio José Tenza-Abril, Francisco Baeza-Brotons and David Benavente
Materials 2019, 12(21), 3642; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma12213642 - 05 Nov 2019
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2967
Abstract
This work presents five different methods for quantifying the segregation phenomenon in lightweight aggregate concretes (LWAC). The use of LWACs allows greater design flexibility and substantial cost savings, and has a positive impact on the energy consumption of a building. However, these materials [...] Read more.
This work presents five different methods for quantifying the segregation phenomenon in lightweight aggregate concretes (LWAC). The use of LWACs allows greater design flexibility and substantial cost savings, and has a positive impact on the energy consumption of a building. However, these materials are susceptible to aggregate segregation, which causes an irregular distribution of the lightweight aggregates in the mixture and may affect the concrete properties. To quantify this critical process, a new method based on image analysis is proposed and its results are compared to the well-established methods of density and ultrasonic pulse velocity measurement. The results show that the ultrasonic test method presents a lower accuracy than the other studied methods, although it is a nondestructive test, easy to perform, and does not need material characterization. The new methodology via image analysis has a strong correlation with the other methods, it considers information from the complete section of the samples, and it does not need the horizontal cut of the specimens or material characterization. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Lightweight Aggregate Concrete)
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18 pages, 4271 KiB  
Article
Testing and Prediction of Shear Performance for Steel Fiber Reinforced Expanded-Shale Lightweight Concrete Beams without Web Reinforcements
by Xiaoke Li, Changyong Li, Minglei Zhao, Hui Yang and Siyi Zhou
Materials 2019, 12(10), 1594; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma12101594 - 15 May 2019
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 2561
Abstract
In this paper, for a wide application of high-performance steel fiber reinforced expanded-shale lightweight concrete (SFRELC) in structures, the shear behavior of reinforced SFRELC beams without web reinforcements was experimentally investigated under a four-point bending test. Twenty-six beams were fabricated considering the influencing [...] Read more.
In this paper, for a wide application of high-performance steel fiber reinforced expanded-shale lightweight concrete (SFRELC) in structures, the shear behavior of reinforced SFRELC beams without web reinforcements was experimentally investigated under a four-point bending test. Twenty-six beams were fabricated considering the influencing parameters of SFRELC strength, shear-span to depth ratio, longitudinal reinforcement ratio and the volume fraction of the steel fiber. The statistical analyses based on the foundational design principles and the experimental results are made based on the shear cracking resistance, the shear crack distribution and width, the mid-span deflection, the patterns of shear failure, and the shear capacity of the specimens. This confirms the effective strengthening of steel fibers on the shear performance of reinforced SFRELC beams without web reinforcements. Based on the modifications to the formulas of reinforced conventional concrete, lightweight-aggregate concrete or steel fiber reinforced concrete (SFRC) beams, and the validation against the experimental findings, formulas are proposed for the prediction of shear cracking resistance and shear capacity of reinforced SFRELC beams without web reinforcements. Finally, formulas are discussed for the reliable design of the shear capacity of reinforced SFRELC beams without web reinforcements. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Lightweight Aggregate Concrete)
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Review

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24 pages, 5969 KiB  
Review
Lightweight Concrete—From Basics to Innovations
by Karl-Christian Thienel, Timo Haller and Nancy Beuntner
Materials 2020, 13(5), 1120; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13051120 - 03 Mar 2020
Cited by 70 | Viewed by 11634
Abstract
Lightweight concrete has a history of more than two-thousand years and its technical development is still proceeding. This review starts with a retrospective that gives an idea of the wide range of applications covered by lightweight concrete during the last century. Although lightweight [...] Read more.
Lightweight concrete has a history of more than two-thousand years and its technical development is still proceeding. This review starts with a retrospective that gives an idea of the wide range of applications covered by lightweight concrete during the last century. Although lightweight concrete is well known and has proven its technical potential in a wide range of applications over the past decades, there are still hesitations and uncertainties in practice. For that reason, lightweight aggregate properties and the various types of lightweight concrete are discussed in detail with a special focus on current standards. The review is based on a background of 25 years of practical and theoretical experience in this field. One of the main challenges in designing lightweight concrete is to adapt most of design, production and execution rules since they often deviate from normal weight concrete. Therefore, aspects are highlighted that often are the cause of misunderstandings, such as nomenclature or the informational value of certain tests. Frequently occurring problems regarding the mix design and production of lightweight concrete are addressed and the unintended consequences are described. A critical view is provided on some information given in existing European concrete standards regarding the mechanical properties of structural lightweight concrete. Finally, the latest stage of development of very light lightweight concretes is presented. Infra-lightweight concrete is introduced as an innovative approach for further extending the range of applications of lightweight concrete by providing background knowledge and experiences from case records. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Lightweight Aggregate Concrete)
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32 pages, 3530 KiB  
Review
A Review on the Carbonation and Chloride Penetration Resistance of Structural Lightweight Aggregate Concrete
by José Alexandre Bogas and Sofia Real
Materials 2019, 12(20), 3456; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma12203456 - 22 Oct 2019
Cited by 25 | Viewed by 3676
Abstract
This paper presents a comprehensive review on structural lightweight aggregate concrete (SLWAC) durability. The main transport properties and degradation mechanisms of reinforced concrete are addressed, namely, carbonation and chloride attack. The influence of the main composition parameters, such as type of aggregate, type [...] Read more.
This paper presents a comprehensive review on structural lightweight aggregate concrete (SLWAC) durability. The main transport properties and degradation mechanisms of reinforced concrete are addressed, namely, carbonation and chloride attack. The influence of the main composition parameters, such as type of aggregate, type of binder and water/binder ratio, as well as the influence of cracking, are also analysed. Finally, the current knowledge of SLWAC’s service life prediction is assessed. Although the knowledge of SLWAC’s durability behaviour is still limited, investigation works performed either in laboratory or in real environments indicate that SLWAC can have similar to better durability performance than normal weight concrete, especially when the same strength level is considered. The importance of the quality of the paste over the characteristics of the lightweight aggregates is highlighted. Durability standardization regarding SLWAC is still insufficient and is one of the main gaps of current knowledge. The objective of this review is to foster a better understanding on the durability and service life prediction of SLWAC, contributing to a greater confidence in using this type of concrete. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Lightweight Aggregate Concrete)
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