Materials, Methods & Technologies, Volume 2, 2008

Streszczenie: Lightweight concretes can be produced by using different type of lightweight aggregates. The results of investigations on the suitability of using pumice aggregates from Isparta region in Turkey as fine and coarse materials in lightweight concrete masonry production are reported. In this study, pumice aggregate lightweight concrete (PLWC) samples were produced with different sizes of 0-4 mm as fine pumice aggregate (FPA), of 4/8 mm as middle pumice aggregate (MPA) and of 8/16 mm as coarse pumice aggregate (CPA). The pumice aggregates collected from the quarry were first crushed and screened in this study. In order to analyze the role of pumice aggregate ratio on the properties of lightweight concrete masonry for dry mix conditions, a series of preliminary trial batches were first carried out. Trial batches were cast into 100x100x100 mm cube samples with the cement content of 220 kg/m3 in low water/cement ratio as 0,15. The specimens were analyzed to examine the compressive strength, water absorption and specific porosity of all series. According to the results of preliminary trial batches, it was decided to produce a full scale pumice aggregate masonry block (PAMB) units for the same mixture proportions of the best series in trials. PAMB units were analyzed to investigate their unit weight and the compressive strength for air dry condition at 28 days. The coefficient of thermal conductivity for the blocks was tested based on oven dry. According to experimental results, while dry unit weight has increased, compressive strength of 28 days samples has increased, too for the PLWC dry mix composition. Due to the low strength and thermal conductivity, pumice aggregate lightweight masonry units can be used in constructions for non-load bearing infill walls providing the high isolations.