PSI - Issue 70

C. Raghu Rami Reddy et al. / Procedia Structural Integrity 70 (2025) 263–270

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Fig 1. Typical raw materials used for preparing cellular light weight concrete

1.2 Preparation of Foamed Concrete Samples To guarantee consistency and dependability, a systematic method was used to create foamed concrete specimens by Kearsley. E. P et al (2005). All of the components were precisely weighed in accordance with the mix design: cement, fine aggregates (sand, M-sand, and copper slag), water, protein-based foaming agent, polypropylene, steel, and glass fibers (each at 0.6% by volume), and a PCE-based superplasticizer. After three to five minutes of mixing dry components in a mechanical drum mixer, water containing superplasticizer was gradually added to create a homogenous slurry. To maintain the desired density, preformed foam (density ~60 kg/m³) was created independently and applied in increments by Ranjbar, N (2020). To avoid clumping and guarantee uniform dispersion, fibers were added progressively by Neville A.M. (2011). The new mixture was poured into standard moulds for ASTMC 496 tensile testing, IS516:1959 compressive testing and flexural strength (ASTM C78) tests. 1.3 Mix Proportions The mix proportions for different densities (800kg/m³, 1000kg/m³ and 1200kg/m³) are presented in Table below. These mix designs were optimized to balance workability, strength, and durability by Ranjbar N (2020).

Fig.2. Preparation of Cellular Light Weight Concrete