Advantages and Disadvantages of Foam Concrete

foam concrete is a lightweight concrete made by mixing fine aggregates, foaming agents and water. It can be produced with natural or synthetic foaming agents.

Lightweight concrete has many advantages over conventional concrete, such as lower costs, faster construction, high energy efficiency and low environmental impact. It can be used in a wide range of applications including insulation, structural elements, filling of voids and grouting.

Its properties include a high strength-to-weight ratio, light weight, heat preservation, sound insulation and corrosion resistance. It can be produced with a variety of admixtures, including lime, gypsum, cement and fly ash.

Compressive strength: The compressive strength of foam concrete depends on the water-cement ratio, mix design and the type of foaming agent. It can be between 1.0 and 15 MPa, depending on the amount of foam and the grade of cement.

Thermal insulation: The thermal properties of foam concrete are also affected by the pore structure and the size distribution of air voids. The narrower the air voids, the better the insulation.

Drying shrinkage: foam concretes have a lower drying shrinkage than ordinary concrete. This is because the air voids are more dense than the aggregate particles.

Corrosion: The cellular structure of foam concrete has a greater resistance to corrosion than the cellular structure of ordinary concrete. It is therefore an excellent choice for exterior protected constructions where corrosion is a problem.

Adding carbon fiber (CF) to the foam concrete increases its mechanical performance. However, the CF must be preprocessed before being added to the concrete mixture.