Mechanical Properties of Concrete Produced by Light Cement-Based Aggregates

There is great growing concern regarding the environmental impact of the building and construction industry. Aggregate, one of the most crucial ingredients of concrete, is among the concerns in this regard. There will be a steady increase in demand for aggregates in the near future, but limited natural reserves will not be able to respond to this demand due to the risk of depletion. This current situation is forcing researchers to conduct new and artificial material production techniques that keep the resources within the allowed boundaries. Artificial aggregate production is one of the new methods for sustainable, environmentally friendly material production. The mechanical and environmental properties of lightweight concrete produced via artificial aggregates in different ratios were investigated in this study. Fly ash (FA), ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBFS), and quartz powder (QP) were utilized in the production of artificial lightweight aggregate (LWA) by using a special technique known as cold-bonding pelletization. The prepared concrete samples with the artificial aggregates were subjected to compressive, tensile, flexural, and bonding tests. The test results demonstrated that the bonding, tensile, and compressive strength values of lightweight concrete with a 20% GGBFS coarse aggregate replacement ratio of lightweight aggregates increased by 11%, 12%, and 30%, respectively. Moreover, it has been observed that a 41% increase in compressive strength is possible with a 40% QP coarse aggregate replacement ratio of lightweight aggregates. Finally, in addition to significantly impacting the mechanical properties of the lightweight concrete produced via artificial lightweight aggregates, we demonstrated that it is possible to control and reduce the harmful environmental effects of waste materials, such as FA, GGBFS, and QP in the present study.