We are going to talk about concrete today, but not the usual concrete that you know. Lightweight concrete is another type of concrete that is a bit different from the normal one. If you want to look for a supplier of light weight concrete Selangor, 3D Resources is your best choice. The usual concrete might be familiar to you but not lightweight concrete. There are a few benefits that lightweight concrete possesses and we would look into them in this post. Apart from that, you will be introduced to this concrete and get to know some of the types.
Lightweight Concrete vs Normal Concrete
Before making a comparison between these two, let’s understand the meaning of lightweight concrete. As the name suggests, lightweight concrete is lighter than the usual concrete. Why? Lightweight coarse aggregate is used to make lightweight concrete mixtures. They are typically composed of slate, shale, and clay, which contribute to the low density. The in-place density ranges between 1440 and 1840 kg/m3. One of the subtle differences between these two is that lightweight concrete contains more water than standard concrete. As previously stated, the weight and suitability for use in modern buildings varied. Aside from that, lightweight concrete is known to be inexpensive.
Types of Lightweight Concrete and The Pros and Cons
There are three primary types of lightweight concrete that are sold in the marketplace. Depending on your usage, these types of concretes have their own purposes and special methods instructions. Before choosing, you need to ensure a few aspects. The durability, strength and cost. You need to know that lightweight concrete is less expensive but there is one con which is it tends to be less strong than normal weight concrete. They are more suitable to be used for indoor and outdoor constructions such as fences and stairs. Anyway, these are the three types of lightweight concrete typically used in small constructions:
No Fines Concrete
When fine aggregates are separated from the mixture, this sort of concrete is generated. As a result, the concrete only contains coarse aggregates and big voids. Concrete with no particles is best suited for load-bearing walls. It can also be used to build both interior and outdoor structures. It is not suited for use with reinforced concrete because of the cement concentration and reduced density.
Lightweight Aggregate Concrete
This lightweight concrete is made out of lightweight particles like perlite, clay, slate, volcanic pumice, and shale. The inclusion of weaker aggregates in the mixture may have an effect on its thermal conductivity, causing the strength to decrease.
Aerated/Foamed Concrete
The last type of lightweight concrete is aerated concrete and is also known as foamed concrete and gas concrete. A chemical reaction is used to insert voids using an air-entraining agent. This concrete does not require flattening and is self-compacting. This is quite helpful for those who are working in the industry and have been doing heavy-duty jobs before.
In a nutshell, lightweight concrete is very suitable to be used for both indoor and outdoor constructions but only for small and simple structures. Choosing the perfect type of concrete is crucial if you want to keep track of your budget plan.