Title: Properties of Fiber-Reinforced Lightweight Concrete

Author(s): C. Shi, Y. Wu and M. Riefler

Publication: Symposium Paper

Volume: 226

Issue:

Appears on pages(s): 123-134

Keywords: density; drying shrinkage; ductility; fiber; lightweight concrete; strength

DOI: 10.14359/14394

Date: 3/1/2005

Abstract:
The use of lightweight concrete has many advantages over conventional concrete. The reduced self-weight of lightweight concrete will reduce gravity load and seismic inertial mass. The lightweight concrete reported here has compressive strengths from 8 to 50 MPa with dry densities from 800 to 1400 kg/m3, which is strong enough for any load-bearing and non-load-bearing applications. The compressive strength to flexural strength ratio increases as the compressive strength of the concrete increases. The introduction of a small amount of fiber does not affect the flexural strength and drying shrinkage of the concrete, but improves the ductility and handling properties of the product very significantly. The lightweight concrete has a higher moisture loss during drying, but a lower shrinkage than the normal weight concrete due to the buffer effect of the moisture in the lightweight aggregate. Properly designed fiber-reinforced ultra lightweight concrete can be easily cut, sawed and nailed like wood.