Tuesday, March 31, 2026 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM, London
To share insights and findings from 25 years of experience with lightweight concrete, emphasizing its material properties, production challenges, and design applications. The presentation aims to dispel misconceptions about lightweight concrete’s performance and durability, demonstrate its advantages in impermeability and corrosion resistance, and highlight experimental results comparing lightweight and conventional concretes. By showcasing data-driven evidence and sustainable design benefits, the objective is to promote informed understanding and broader adoption of lightweight concrete in modern, durable, and eco-efficient infrastructure.
Learning Objectives:
(1) Review experiences and lessons learned working with lightweight concrete over 25 years focusing on material properties, production issues, and design considerations;
(2) Discuss common misconceptions surrounding LWC, focusing on its actual water-to-cementitious materials (w/cm) ratio behavior, structural implications of the lambda factor, and resistance to chloride diffusion. The research highlights how the use of lightweight aggregates can improve concrete impermeability and reduce chloride ion penetration—key factors in mitigating steel reinforcement corrosion. These enhancements contribute to extended service life and reduced environmental and economic footprints over the structure’s lifecycle. By presenting experimental data and performance metrics, this talk aims to clarify the technical capabilities of LWC and support its broader adoption in sustainable infrastructure design;
(3) Investigate the performance of prestressed concrete beams cast with two types of lightweight coarse aggregate, different strand diameters, and strand locations. Results of experimental testing are compared with conventional self-consolidating concrete beams and available prediction equations;
(4) Review impact of Internal Curing on Shrinkage and Creep Behavior of Advanced Concrete Materials.