IJSTE - International Journal of Science Technology & Engineering | Volume 3 | Issue 09 | March 2017

ISSN (online): 2349-784X

Experimental Study on Light Weight Concrete by

Partial Replacement of Cement and Fine
Aggregate with Fly Ash and Thermocol
Nagaswaram Roopa K. Supriya
Department of Civil Engineering Department of Civil Engineering
RGM College of Engineering & Technology RGM College of Engineering & Technology

P. Rasheed Khan
Department of Civil Engineering
RGM College of Engineering & Technology

Abstract
In the present scenario, several buildings are being constructed ranging from ordinary residential buildings to sky-scrap
structures. Invariably in all the structures, concrete plays a vital role in construction. Generally concrete is a mixture of
cement, fine aggregate (River sand), coarse aggregate, water and type of admixtures used depends upon the situations. Now-a-
days good sand is extracted and transported from river bed being in a long distance. The extraction of sand has become a serious
issue, posing environmental degradation, thereby causing serious threats of flood or diversion of water flow. Never the less the
resources are also exhausting very rapidly and economical. To overcome from this crisis, partial replacement of cement with fly
ash and fine aggregate with Thermocol can be an economic alternative. This project focuses on investigating the characteristics
of M25 grade of concrete with cement partially replace with fly ash 35%, 40% and fine aggregate replace with thermocol
0.2%,0.3% respectively. The compressive strength of concrete is increases from 33.25 N/mm2 to 35.5 N/mm 2 at 35% of fly ash
and 0.2% of thermocol replacement; increases from 33.25 N/mm2 to 36.8 N/mm2 at 40% of fly ash and 0.3% of thermocol
replacement.
Keywords: Cement, Coarse aggregate, Fine aggregate, Fly ash, Thermocol
________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I. INTRODUCTION

Now-a-days the most suitable and widely used construction material is Concrete. This building material, until these days, went
through lots of development. The definition of Concrete is the mixture of cement, water, additives or sometimes super-
plasticizers. It is artificial material. In the beginning it is soft, ductile or fluid, and gradually will be solid. We can consider this
building material as an artificial stone. The most important part of concrete is cement. The production process of this raw
material produces a lot of CO2. It is well known, that CO2 emission initiates harmful environmental changes. Now-a-days
researchers make efforts to minimize industrial emission of CO 2.
The most effective way to decrease the CO2 emission of cement industry is to substitute a proportion of cement with other
materials. These materials called Supplementary Cementing Materials (SCMs). Usually used supplementary cementing
materials are fly ash. This is typically industrial by-product, hence the application of SCMs results less CO2 during cement
production. The SCMs provide other advantages and that is why the usage in the concrete technology is more and more general.

II. CONCRETE

Concrete is a composite construction material composed primarily of aggregate, cement and water. There are many formulations
that have varied properties. The aggregate is generally coarse gravel or crushed rocks such as limestone, or granite, along with a
fine aggregate such as sand. The cement, commonly Portland cement, and other cementations materials such as fly ash and slag
cement, serve as a binder for the aggregate. Various chemical admixtures are also added to achieve varied properties. Water is
then mixed with this dry composite which enables it to be shaped (typically poured) and then solidified and hardened into rock-
hard strength through a chemical process known as hydration. The water reacts with the cement which bonds the other
components together, eventually creating a robust stone-like material. Concrete has relatively high compressive strength, but
much lower tensile strength. For this reason is usually reinforced with materials that are strong in tension (often steel). Concrete
can be damaged by many processes, such as the freezing of trap Concrete is widely used for making architectural structures,
foundations, brick/block walls, pavements, bridges/overpasses, motorways/roads, runways, parking structures dams,
pools/reservoirs, pipes, footings for gates, fences and poles and even boats.

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 Experimental Study on Light Weight Concrete by Partial Replacement of Cement and Fine Aggregate with Fly Ash and Thermocol
(IJSTE/ Volume 3 / Issue 09 / 124)

Fly ash
Fly ash comes primarily from coal-fired, electricity-generating power plants. These power plants grind coal to powder fineness
before it is burned. Fly ash the mineral residue produced by burning coal is captured from the power plants exhaust gases
and collected for use.
The difference between fly ash and portland cement becomes apparent under a microscope. Fly ash particles are almost totally
spherical in shape, allowing them to flow and blend freely in mixtures. That capability is one of the properties making fly ash a
desirable admixture for concrete. Fly ash is a shown in Fig1.1.

Fig. 1.1: Fly ash

Thermocol
Thermocol is a Expanded polystyrene (EPS) is a rigid and tough closed cell foam. It is usually white and made of pre-expanded
polystyrene beads. It offers a non-hydroscopic, odourless, rigid, closed cell. Application is made possible because of Thermocol
light weight, water resistance, dimensional stability and inert nature.
Polystyrene foams are good thermal insulators and are therefore often used as building insulation materials, such as
in insulating concrete forms and structural insulated panel building systems. Grey polystyrene foam, incorporating graphite has
superior insulation properties. They are also used for non-weight-bearing architectural structures (such as ornamental pillars) as
shown in Fig.1.2.Discarded polystyrene does not biodegrade for hundreds of years and is resistant to photolysis. Polystyrene
foam blows in the wind and floats on water due to its specific gravity. It can have serious effects on the health of birds or marine
animals.

Fig. 1.2: Thermocol

III. EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATIONS

Objective of Study
In the present investigation the behavior of M25 grade cement concrete with partial replacement of cement with Black Cotton
Soil (BCS) is compared with the normal concrete.

Materials
Raw materials required for the concreting operations of the present work are cement, Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag
(GGBS), fine aggregate, coarse aggregate and water.

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 Experimental Study on Light Weight Concrete by Partial Replacement of Cement and Fine Aggregate with Fly Ash and Thermocol
(IJSTE/ Volume 3 / Issue 09 / 124)

Cement
Cement of 43 Grade Ordinary Portland Cement was used.

IV. PROPERTIES OF CEMENT

Table - 4.2
Physical properties of ordinary Portland cement
S.NO. Property Test Results
1 Normal Consistency 32%
2 Specific Gravity 3.13
3 Initial and final setting time 60 & 380 Minutes
4 Soundness value 1.5mm
5 Fineness of cement(Dry sieving method) 4%
6 Specific gravity 3.13

Specific Gravity
S.NO NAME OF THE INGRIENT SPECIFIC GRAVITY
1 FINE AGGREGATES 2.614
2 COARSE AGGREGATES 2.88
3 FLYASH 2.3

V. EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS

Table - 5.1
Shows the various mixes used in this investigation.
Constituents of Concrete Binding Material Fine Aggregate Coarse Aggregate
Mix Types Cement Fly ash Sand Thermocol 20mm
OPC 100% 0% 100% 0% 100%
OPC+35%Fly ash+0.2% Thermocol 65% 35% 99.8% 0.2% 100%
OPC+40%Fly ash+0.3% Thermocol 60% 40% 99.7% 0.3% 100%
Table - 5.2
Compressive strength values for replacement of cement with fly ash and fine aggregate with thermocol
3 days compressive Strength 7 days compressive Strength 28 days compressive Strength
Mix
(N/mm^2) (N/mm^2) (N/mm^2)
Normal mix 10.7 21.2 33.25
35% Fly ash + 0.2% of
11.2 24.3 35.5
Thermocol
40% Fly ash + 0.3% of
12.3 25.1 36.8
Thermocol

VI. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

Based on the investigation carried out, the following conclusions were made.
The workability of concrete in terms of slump cone and compaction factor shows that Compaction factor changes slightly
with increasing fly ash, Thermocol replacement and the slump cone also changes with the % increase in the replacement
of fly ash, Thermocol content and the values falls within the value for normal range of concrete.
By conducting the compressive strength of concrete cubes compressive
strength is increased by partial replacement of cement with fly ash and fine aggregate with Thermocol.
For 3 days of curing period ,it is observed that the strength of concrete at partial replacement of fly ash and Thermocol
is increased when compared to the normal compressive strength of concrete.
For 7 days of curing period ,it is observed that the strength of concrete at partial replacement of fly ash and Thermocol
is increased when Compared to thermocol compressive strength of concrete.
For 28 days of curing period , it is observed that the strength of Concrete at partial replacement of fly ash and
Thermocol is increased compared to normal cubes. It is for the proportion of 35%fly ash and 0.2% Thermocol.
In the same manner the compressive strength of concrete is increased Compared to the normal mix and partial
replacement of 35% fly ash and0.2% Thermocol.

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 Experimental Study on Light Weight Concrete by Partial Replacement of Cement and Fine Aggregate with Fly Ash and Thermocol
(IJSTE/ Volume 3 / Issue 09 / 124)

REFERENCES
[1] IS: 456 (2000). Indian Standard Plain and Reinforced Concrete Code of Practice. Bureau of Indian Standards, New Delhi.
[2] IS: 383 (1970). Indian Standard Specification for Coarse and Fine aggregates from Natural Sources for Concrete (Second Revision). Bureau of Indian
Standards, New Delhi.
[3] IS: 10262 (2009). Recommended Guidelines for Concrete Mix Design. Bureau of Indian standards, New Delhi.
[4] M.S.Shetty Concrete Technology (theory and practice), S.Chand Publications-1982.
[5] A. K. Mullik, performance of concrete with binary and ternary cement blends, Indian concrete journal, 2007.
[6] IS 10262:1982 recommended guidelines for concrete mix design.
[7] Is 516:1959 methods of test for strength of concrete.
[8] IS: 4031[PT1]-1996,Indian Standard Specification for Physical Test for Hydraulic CementDetermination of Compressive Strength, Bureau of Indian
Standards, New Delhi.
[9] Sivalinga Rao, Y.Radha Ratna Kumari, V. Bhaskar Desai, B.L.P. Swami, Fiber Reinforced Light Weight Aggregate (Natural Pumice Stone) Concrete,
International Journal of Scientific & Engineering

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