Concrete @ your Fingertips

Lightweight concrete

Lightweight concrete is defined as having an oven dry density not exceeding 2000 kg/m³, but can be as low as 800 kg/m³ depending on the materials used (EN 206:2016). Compressive strength can vary between 1 and 65 N/mm².

Lightweight concrete has:

• Improved thermal properties
• Reduced structural loading
­• Fire resistant qualities

The three main methods of production of lightweight concrete are:

• The use of lightweight aggregates
• The incorporation of voids by aeration
• Little or no fine aggregate addition

Lightweight aggregate concrete was generally be designed in accordance with BS 8110: Part 1. However, additional design rules within BS 8110: Part 2 should be applied. This Standard has now been withdrawn and superceded by Eurocodes.

Acknowledgement: The Concrete Society

Other references:JL Clarke, ´Structural lightweight aggregate concrete´, Blackie Academic and Professional,1993