Experimental study on lightweight concrete with Styrofoam as a replacement for coarse aggregate

Abstract

With the rapid growth in building construction and urbanisation, buildings are getting taller and bigger than ever. In India majority of structures are constructed with the help of concrete resulting into very heavy structures. Heavy loads are one of the limitations for construction of tall buildings. If somehow structures are made lighter, cost of the foundation can also be lowered down. Conventional concrete is one of the main reason in increasing the weight of the buildings. Light weight concrete can be very much effective in reducing the overall weight of the building. In conventional concrete, larger volume comprises of coarse aggregates.In this study, attempt has been made to replace conventional coarse aggregates with Styrofoam which is a very light weight foam. Concrete with different aggregate replacement percentage was tested. The results show very encouraging results for thecompressive strength and density.