INTRODUCTION

Durability is the ability to last a long time without significant deterioration. A durable material
helps the environment by conserving resources, reducing wastes and the environmental
impacts of repair and replacement. Concrete durability is defined as the concrete ability to
resist weathering actions, chemical attack and abrasion while maintaining its desired
engineering properties.

Strength of the concrete is a main structural requirement that determines the capacity of these
concrete to support the designed loads (weight, force, etc...) without breaking and maintain the
structure stability and integrity. Strength is the property generally specified in concrete design
and quality control.

Foam concrete (cellular lightweight concrete) is a lightweight building material combining

good mechanical strength with low thermal conductivity and ease of working. It is a low
density hardened Portland cement paste or mortar, containing a large number of small bubbles
of air which gives it a fine cellular structure. In recent years it has been used in certain parts of
Europe, Asia, America and Africa to reduce the weight and improve the insulating properties
of precast concrete building units.

Foamed concrete is known as light-weight or cellular concrete. It is commonly defined as a

cementitious material with a minimum of 20% (by volume) mechanically entrained foam in
the mortar mix where air-pores are entrapped in the matrix by means of a suitable foaming
agent

The idea of adding a foam to cement grout, mortar or fine concrete is not new, but the
development of equipment which enables this to be done economically in small or large
quantities is relatively recent. Coupled with the development of the constituent materials,
production methods and application of foam concrete, this is leading to a growing interest in
harnessing its properties in a diverse range of construction uses.

A cellular concrete is a lightweight product consisting of Portland cement, cement –silica,

cement –Pozzolona, lime Pozzolona ,lime silica pastes or paste containing blends of these
gradients and having homogenous void or cell structure ,attained with gas- forming chemicals
of foaming agents.

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Concrete is most important construction materials. Concrete is a material used in building
construction, consisting of a hard, chemically inert particulate substance, known as an
aggregate that is bonded together by cement and water. In upcoming years there has been an
increasing worldwide demand for the construction of buildings, roads and an airfield which
has mitigate the raw material in concrete like aggregate.

In some ruler areas, the huge quantities of aggregate that have already been used means that
local materials are no longer available and the deficit has to be made up by importing materials
from other place. Therefore a new direction towards Cellular Lightweight Concrete in building
and civil engineering construction is used. The origin of the CLWC is difficult to assess, it
would not be an exaggeration to say that its roots are from the ancient period. With the increase
in the demand of CLWC and the unavailability of the aggregates, technology for producing
lightweight aggregates has been developed. Lightweight concrete is the type of concrete which
includes an expanding agent in that it increases the volume of the mixture and lessened the
dead weight.

It is lighter than the conventional. Lightweight concrete is a type of concrete contains expanded
light weight aggregates which increase the volume of the mixture while giving additional
qualities such as lowering the dead weight. Lightweight concrete maintains its large voids and
not forming laitance layers or cement films when placed on the wall. This research was based
on the performance of light weight concrete using expanded clay aggregate.

However, sufficient water cement ratio is vital to produce adequate cohesion between cement
and water. Lightweight concrete is usually chosen for structural purpose where its use will lead
to a lower overall cost of a structure than normal weight concrete this research report is
prepared to show the activities and progress of the lightweight concrete research project. The
performance of lightweight concrete such as compressive strength tests, water absorption and
density and supplementary tests and comparisons has been made with nominal concrete.

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 OBJECTIVE

 Determine the strength and durability of a cellular light weight concrete over conventional
concrete
 Compare the density of cellular lightweight concrete over conventional concrete
 Compare the specific strength (strength to weight ratio) of cellular lightweight concrete over
conventional concrete
 To study the effect of fly ash on foamed concrete
 To utilize the industrial waste and save lands from hazardous landfills

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LITERATURE REVIEWS

PAPER 1: “EFFECT OF FLY ASH ON STRENGTH PROPERTIES OF FOAM

CONCRETE” BYAK SHAY REDDY, B.PUNITH A, MRS.KALYANI DONGARKAR.

“International journal of latest engineering research and application (IJERA) ISSN-

2455-7137 vol-02 (2017)” it is conclude that the Partial replacement of sand by 0%, 50%,
70%, 100% fly ash were conducted and tabulated. Out of which the 70% of replacement
specimen was found to give 9% ore compressive strength and 8% more split tensile strength
at density of 1100kgLm^3 was obtained. Hence 70% fly ash gives maximum value and it is
most effectively used proportion. Replacement of sand with fly ash in the mixture generally
reduces the density, resulting in reduced foam volume requirement for a given density and thus
indirectly contributes to strength enhancement over and above pozzolanic and filler effect. The
strength-density ratio is high for foam concrete mixes containing fly ash as compared to sand.

PAPER 2: “EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON FOAM CONCRETE” BY

MAHESHKUMAR H. THAKRELE

“International journal of civil, structural environmental and infrastructure engineering

research and development (IJCSEIERD) ISSN (p):2249-6866; ISSN (e):2249-7978 vol.4
(2014)” it is conclude that the Density of Foamed Concrete is inversely proportional to the
percentage of foam that is added to the slurry/mortar. The Compressive Strength and Density
of Foam Concrete increases with age. The Compressive Strength of Foamed Concrete
increases with increase in the Density. The starting of Strength gain for foamed concrete is on
higher side than that of normal weight concrete and Strength gain beyond 28 days is faster than
normal weight concrete. The addition of fly ash of equal amount of cement makes it possible
to gain the target strength with Age. This study has shown that the use of flay ash in Foam
Concrete, can be greatly improves its properties. The mixed proportion for foamed concrete
used in this research report cannot be used for structural purpose because there 28 days
Compressive Strength is less than 17 MPa.

PAPER 3:“CELLULAR LIGHTWEIGHT CONCRETE” BY MANISH AWANA,

CHANDAN KUMAR

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 “International conference on emerging trends in engineering, technology, science and
management (ICETETSN) ISBN: 2249-686 vol.4 (2014)” It can be concluded that the
lightweight concrete has a desirable strength to be an alternative construction material for the
industrialized building system. This study has shown that the use of fly ash in foamed concrete,
either can greatly improve its properties.

PAPER 4: “DESIGN AND ANALYSIS OF FOAM CONCRETE” BY D.KAVITHA,

K.V.N MALLIKARJUNRAO

“International journal of engineering research and applications (IJETA) vol.5 (2018)” it

can be conclude that the density of foamed concrete is inversely proportional to the percentage
of foam that is added to the slurry/mortar. The compressive strength and density of foam
concrete increases with age. Fine aggregate had a beneficial effect on significantly increase in
compressive strength of foamed concrete. Both the foamed concrete mixed proportions can be
used for making partition walls in buildings.

POSSIBLE OUTCOMES OF THE PROJECT

 This project aims at achieving a comparable strength CLC blocks with that of conventional
concrete even after reducing deaf load and density
 the results show the ecofriendly nature and economical characteristics of CLC blocks


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 Materials used in the project
The materials used in the project are as follows:

 Cement
 Fine aggregate
 Fly ash
 Foam
CEMENT: the cement used for the production of foam concrete is 53 grade ordinary Portland
cement (OPC). The selection of the cement for the project are done with respect to following
requirements.

1 Specific gravity 3.15( OPC )

2.90 ( PPC )
2 Normal Consistency 25% - 35%
3 Initial setting time Not less than 30 min
4 Final setting time Not more than 600 min
5 Soundness Not more than 10 mm
6 Compressive Strength( for OPC 53 grade ) Not less than
3 days 27 Mpa
7 days 37 Mpa
28 days 53 Mpa

FINE AGGREGATE: optimum properties are achieved when selecting the most suitable raw
materials. The sand is mostly preferred from river, which is washed and should be with
minimum 20% fines. Dust in sand increases the demand for water, cement without adding to
the properties it also increase the shrinkage. The selection of fine aggregate is done with the
following basis.

SL. PROPERTIES STANDARD VALUE

NO.
1 Specific gravity 2.4 – 3.0

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 2 Fineness Modulus-
Fine Sand 2.2 – 2.6
Medium Sand 2.6 – 2.9
Coarse Sand 2.9 – 3.2
3 Bulk Density 1.2 – 1.75 gm/cc

FLY ASH:
Fly ash also known as pulverized fuel ash, is one of the coal combustion products, and
composed of the fine particles that are driven out of the boiler with the flue gases. Fly ash is a
heterogeneous material. SIO2, AL2O3, FE2O3 and occasionally CAO are the main chemical
components present in fly ashes. The fly ash used for the foam concrete is Class F fly ash. This
type of fly ash produces burning of harder, older anthracite and bituminous coal. This fly ash is
pozzolanic in nature, and contains less than 7% lime (CAO).

FOAM:

Foam is a dispersion of a gas in liquid or in solid. Foam is produced by distribution of gas in a

liquid under the influence of a foaming medium, such as soap, oil, acid or a wetting agent.
During the production small bubbles are formed and are separated from liquid by a membrane.

FOAMING AGENT: Foaming agent is made up from TECHCELL POWDER which is very
light in weight .1kg of TECHCELL POWDER can produce 10 liter foaming agent.

 Protect from direct sunlight and frost

 Handling :- Normal care should be taken as it is nonhazardous product
 Specific Gravity 1.0 1.05
 pH > 7.5
 Foam density 50 60gm
Dosage may vary depending upon mix design process aggregate type and the desired effect
however typically 1 liter of Foam Guard per 25 to 30 liter of water with help of the foam
generating equipment In case of hard water a higher dosage maybe required.

WATER:
Mixing water for concrete should be clean and free from injurious amounts of oils, acids,
alkalis, salts, organic matter, or other potentially deleterious substances. When water is used
to produce foam, it has to be potable and for best performance, it should not exceed 25°C.

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 Under no circumstances must the foaming agent be brought in contact with any oil, fat,
chemical or other material that might harm its function.
TEST ON CEMENT:

1. Specific gravity test

2. Initial and final setting time
3. Normal consistency
4. Soundness test
5. Compressive strength test
6. Fineness test
1. Specific gravity test:
Specific Gravity is the ratio of the density of a substance to the density of a reference substance
at a fixed temperature.
Apparatus used:
 Cement
 Kerosene
 Specific gravity bottle capacity of 250 ml with stopper
 Weighing balance

Procedure:
1. The Lechatlier flask should be free from moisture content, that mean flask is thoroughly dried.
2. Now, weigh the empty flask and note it as w1.
3. Take 50gm of cement and add it in Flask. Now weight the Flask with the stopper as w2.
4. Now pour kerosene in the sample up to the neck of the bottle. Mix thoroughly and see that no
air bubbles left in the flask. Note down the weight as w3.
5. Empty the flask and fill the bottle with kerosene up to the tip of the bottle and record the weight
as w4.

𝒘!−𝒘𝟐
Specific gravity of cement (sg)= (𝒘𝟐−𝒘𝟏)−(𝒘𝟑−𝒘𝟒) ∗ 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐞

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 2. Fineness test:
The fineness of cement has an important bearing on the rate of hydration and hence on the rate
of gain of strength and also on the rate of evolution of heat. Finer cement offers a greater
surface area for hydration and hence faster the development of strength.

Apparatus: Test Sieve 90 microns, Balance, Gauging Trowel, Brush, etc.

Procedure:

1. Collect a sample of cement and rub with your hands. The Fineness test sample should be free
of lumps.
2. Take 100 gm of cement sample and note its weight as W1.
3. Drop 100 gm of cement in 90 µm sieve and close it with the lid.
4. Now, shake the sieve with your hands by agitating the sieve in planetary and linear movements
for 15 minutes.
5. After that take weight the retained cement on the 90 µm sieve as W2.

Fineness = (W2/W1) * 100

 Then after, calculate the percentage of Weight of cement-retained on Sieve.

Weight Cement
Weight of
Sample Fineness of
S. no Cement
Retained on 90µm Cement
Sample
Sieve

1 100gm

2 100gm

3 100gm

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 4 100gm

 Repeat this procedure with three different samples of cement and average the values for
accurate results.

Result: The standard cement should have fineness less than 10 % as per IS Recommendations.

3. SETTING TIME:

Apparatus Required
 VI cat’s apparatus
 Balance
 Measuring cylinder
 Stop watch
 Glass plate
 Enamel tray
 Trowel

 Test Procedure

Initial Preparation

1. Consistency test to be done before starting the test procedure to find out the water required to
give the paste normal consistency (P).
2. Take 400 g of cement and prepare a neat cement paste with 0.85P of water by weight of cement.
3. Gauge time is kept between 3 to 5 minutes. Start the stop watch at the instant when the water
is added to the cement. Record this time (T1).
4. Fill the VI cat mould, resting on a glass plate, with the cement paste gauged as above. Fill the
mould completely and smooth off the surface of the paste making it level with the top of the
mould. The cement block thus prepared is called test block.

Test for Initial Setting Time

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1. Place the test block confined in the mould and resting on the non-porous plate, under the rod
bearing the needle.
2. Lower the needle gently until it comes in contact with the surface of test block and quick
release, allowing it to penetrate into the test block.
3. In the beginning the needle completely pierces the test block. But after some time when the
paste starts losing its plasticity, the needle may penetrate only to a depth of 33-35 mm from
top.
4. The period elapsing between the time when water is added to the cement and the time at which
the needle penetrates the time when water is added to the cement and the time at which the
needle penetrates the test block to a depth equal to 33-35mm from the top is taken as initial
setting time.

Test for Final Setting Time

 For determining the final setting time, replace the needle of the VI cat’s apparatus by the needle
with an annular attachment.
 The cement is considered finally set when upon applying the final setting needle gently to the
surface of the test block; the needle makes an impression thereon, while the attachment fails
to do so. Record this time (T3).

Initial setting time=T2-T1

Final setting time=T3-T1

TEST ON FINE AGGREGATE:

 Specific gravity test

 Sieve analysis
 Particle size distribution
 Bulk density test

Specific gravity test: Specific Gravity is the ratio of the density of a substance to the density
of a reference substance at a fixed temperature.
Apparatus: Pycnometer, A 1 000-ml measuring cylinder, well-ventilated oven, Taping rod,
Filter papers and funnel, etc.

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Procedure:
1. A sample of about 500 g shall be placed in the tray and covered with distilled water at a
temperature of 22 to 32°C. Soon after immersion, air entrapped in or bubbles on the
surface of the aggregate shall be removed by gentle agitation with a rod. The sample
shall remain immersed for 24 ± l/2 hours.
2. The water shall then be carefully drained from the sample, by decantation through a
filter paper, any material retained being return& to the sample. The fine aggregate
including any solid matter retained on the filter paper shall be exposed to a gentle current
of warm air to evaporate surface moisture and the material just attains a “free running
condition”. The saturated and surface-dry sample shall be weighed (weight A).
3. The aggregate shall then be placed in the pycnometer which shall be filled with distilled
water. Any trapped air shall be eliminated by rotating the pycnometer on its side, the
hole in the apex of the cone being covered with a finger. The pycnometer shall be dried
on the outside and weighed (weight B).
4. The contents of the pycnometer shall be emptied into the tray, care being taken to ensure
that all aggregate is transferred. The pycnometer shall be refilled with distilled water to
the same level as 21 before, dried on the outside and weighed (weight C).
5. The water shall then be carefully drained from the sample by decantation through a filter
paper and any material retained returned to the sample. The sample shall be placed in
the oven in the tray at a temperature of 100 to 110°C for 24 f l/2 hours, during which
period it shall be stirred occasionally to facilitate drying. It shall be cooled in the air-
tight container and weighed (weight D).
Calculations:
𝐷
Specific gravity = 𝐴−(𝐵−𝐶)

𝐷
Apparent specific gravity = 𝐷−(𝐵−𝐶)

100(𝐴−𝐷)
Water absorption =
𝐷

A= weight in g of saturated surface - dry sample

B= weight in g of pycnometer or gas jar containing sample and filled with distilled water,
C= weight in g of pycnometer or gas jar filled with distilled water only
D= weight in g of oven - dried sample.

Particle size distribution test: Fine aggregate is the sand used in mortars. Coarse aggregate is
the broken stone used in concrete .The coarse aggregate unless mixed with fine aggregate serves
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 no purpose in cement works. The size of fine aggregate is limited to a maximum of 4.75 mm
gauge beyond which it is known as coarse aggregate.
Apparatus: Indian standard test sieves, weighing balance, sieve shaker etc.

Size of sieves to be used 4.75mm, 2.36mm, 1.18mm, 600 microns, 300 microns, 150 microns.

Procedure:
1. The sample shall be brought to an air-dry condition before weighing and sieving. The air-dry
sample shall be weighed and sieved successively on the appropriate sieves starting with the
largest. Care shall be taken to ensure that the sieves are clean before use.
2. The shaking shall be done with a varied motion, backward sand forwards, left to right,
circular clockwise and anti-clockwise, and with frequent jarring, so that the material is kept
moving over the sieve surface in frequently changing directions.
3. Material shall not be forced through the sieve by hand pressure. Lumps of fine material, if
present, may be broken by gentle pressure with fingers against the side of the sieve.
4. Light brushing with a fine camel hair brush may be used on the 150-micron and 75-micron
IS Sieves to prevent aggregation of powder and blinding of apertures.
5. On completion of sieving, the material retained on each sieve, together with any material
cleaned from the mesh, shall be weighed.
Observation:
IS SIEVE WEIGHT PERCENTAGE % OF CUM.% REMA
RETAINED OF WEIGHT WEIGHT OF RK

ON SIEVE RETAINED PASSING PASSING

4.75mm

2.36
mm
1.18
mm
600
micron
300micron

150micron

TOTAL

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 METHODLOGY

Availability of materials:

Cement- Ms. Playa

Fly ash-India mart (online)

Fine aggregate- vidyanaryanpura

Foaming agent- India mart (online)

Preparation of foam: the foam is produced by the help of foam generating machine. From this
machine we can produce large amount of foam by adding the foaming agent. The foam for small
project can be produced by one alternative method. Due to unavailability of the foam generating
machine this method is very useful for the small production of foam.

In this method the foaming agent is diluted in the required quantity of water in a bucket. The
diluted sample is grind with the help of drilling machine. From this method we can produced
the foam.

Fig. foaming agent

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 Fig. foam production

Test on material

Compressive strength test: compressive Strength of the concrete is a main structural

requirement that determines the capacity of these concrete to support the designed loads
(weight, force, etc...) without breaking and maintain the structure stability and integrity.
Compressive strength formula for any material is the load applied at the point of failure to the
cross-section area of the face on which load was applied.

𝑷
Compressive Strength = Load / Cross-sectional Area (𝑨)

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 For cube test two types of specimens either cubes of 15cm X 15cm X 15cm or 10cm X 10cm
x 10cm depending upon the size of aggregate are used. For most of the works cubical mould
of size 15*15*15cm are used.

Fig1: cube mould

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 Fig.2: CLC cube

Procedure of testing the compressive strength of CLC cubes

Apparatus: Compression testing machine

Preparation of Concrete Cube Specimen

The proportion and material for making these test specimens are from the same concrete used
in the field. We are taking 3 cubes of 15cm size.

Mixing:

Through Mixing of the materials is essential for the production of uniform concrete. The
mixing should ensure that the homogenous, uniform in color and consistency. There are two
methods adopted for mixing concrete.

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 Hand mixing: Hand mixing is practiced for small scale unimportant concrete works .as the
mixing cannot be through and efficient, it is desirable to add 10% cement to cater for the
inferior concrete produced by this method.

Machine mixing: mixing of concrete almost invariably carried out by machine, for reinforced
concrete work and for medium or large scale mass concrete work and for medium or large
scale mass concrete work. Many types of mixers are available for mixing concrete.

Mixing of light weight concrete:

 Initially the constituent materials were weighed and dry mixing was carried out for cement, fly
ash and sand. This was thoroughly mixed in concrete mixer and then the water was added
incrementally to obtain a reasonable working mix.

 The mixing was carried out for one minute duration. The required quantity of foam was set in
foam generator and then it was added to the wet mix and again the mixing was continued.
Mixing for more duration after adding foam will disintegrate the foam. Then they were poured
into the cube moulds of size 15x15x15cm.

Sampling of Cubes for Tests

1. Clean the mounds and apply oil

2. Fill the concrete in the molds in layers approximately 5 cm thick
3. Compact each layer with not less than 35 strokes per layer using a tamping rod (steel bar 16mm
diameter and 60cm long, bullet pointed at lower end)
4. Level the top surface and smoothen it with a trowel
Curing: The test specimens are stored in moist air for 24 hours and after this period specimens
are marked and removed from the molds and kept submerged in fresh water until taken out
prior to test; the water for curing should be tested every 7 days and the temperature of water
should not be at exist 𝟐𝟓𝟎 𝑪.

Procedure for Concrete Cube Test

1. Remove the specimen from water after specified curing time and wipe out excess water from
the surface

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 2. Clean the bearing surface of the testing machine

3. Place the specimen in the machine in such a manner that the load shall be applied to the
opposite sides of the cube cast.

4. Align the specimen centrally on the base plate of the machine.

5. Rotate the movable portion gently by hand so that it touches the top surface of the specimen.

6. Apply the load gradually without shock and continuously at the rate of 140 kg/cm2/minute till
the specimen fails.

7. Record the maximum load and note any unusual features in the type of failure.
8. Compressive strength of foamed concrete was recorded for 3, 7 and 28 days

NOTE:

Minimum three specimens should be tested at each selected age. If strength of any specimen
varies by more than 15 percent of average strength, results of such specimen should be rejected.
Average of three specimens gives the crushing strength of concrete. The strength requirements
of concrete.

Calculations of Compressive Strength

Size of the cube =15cmx15cmx15cm

Area of the specimen (calculated from the mean size of the specimen) =225 cm2
Characteristic compressive strength (fck) at 7 days =

Expected maximum load =fck x area x f.s

Range to be selected is …………………..

Similar calculation should be done for 28 day compressive strength

Maximum load applied =……….tones = ………….N

Compressive strength = (Load in N/ Area in mm2) =……………N/mm2

=……………………….N/mm2

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Results of Concrete Cube Test

Average compressive strength of the concrete cube = ………….N/ mm2 (at 3 days)
Average compressive strength of the concrete cube =………. N/mm2 (at 7 days)
Average compressive strength of the concrete cube = ………….N/ mm2 (at 28 days)

SPLIT TENSILE TEST

Split tensile strength in concrete is a method of determining the tensile strength of concrete
using a cylinder which splits across the vertical diameter. It is an indirect method of
testing tensile strength of concrete.
Why split tensile test is required?
In direct tensile strength test is impossible to apply true axial load. There will be always
some eccentricity present. Another problem is that stresses induced due to grips. Due to
grips there is a tendency for specimen to break at its ends.

Procedure of Splitting Tensile Test

1. Initially, take the wet specimen from water after 7, 28 of curing; or any desired age at which
tensile strength to be estimated.
2. Then, wipe out water from the surface of specimen
3. After that, draw diametrical lines on the two ends of the specimen to ensure that they are on
the same axial place.
4. Next, record the weight and dimension of the specimen.
5. Set the compression testing machine for the required range.
6. Place plywood strip on the lower plate and place the specimen.
7. Align the specimen so that the lines marked on the ends are vertical and centered over the
bottom plate.
8. Place the other plywood strip above the specimen.
9. Bring down the upper plate so that it just touch the plywood strip.
10. Apply the load continuously without shock at a rate within the range 0.7 to 1.4 MPa/min (1.2
to 2.4 MPa/min based on IS 5816 1999)
11. Finally, note down the breaking load(P)

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 FIG.3: testing cylindrical concrete specimen

Calculations

Calculate the splitting tensile strength of the specimen as follows:

T= 2P/ pi LD

Where,

T = splitting tensile strength, Mpa

P: maximum applied load indicated by the testing machine

D: diameter of the specimen, mm

L: length of the specimen, mm

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 FIG4: dimension of split cylinder specimen and imposed loads

Result

Splitting tensile strength of given concrete =……………….N/mm²

DURABILITY TEST

To have a sustainable concrete structure, durability is key. Use of inappropriate materials, poor
construction practices, curing and mix designs, results in concrete structures often showing
serious premature deterioration. This is a global problem that annually costs public and private
sectors worldwide billions of dollars.

Measuring the durability of concrete to determine its longevity in service is challenging. It is,
however, important in identifying how sustainable structures will ultimately be. Tests such as
water absorption, surface absorption, water permeability, or chloride permeability are
commonly specified.
These tests should consider the unique properties of the mix design when used to determine
concrete’s durability.

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 Absorption Tests

Description: Absorption testing is a common method of determining water resistance. Tests

such as BS 1881-122:2011 measure the amount of water that penetrates into concrete samples
when submersed. Low absorption is a positive result.
Where it’s most useful: The test is intended to determine the susceptibility of unsaturated
concrete to water penetration, for both surface and interior concrete. The absorption test results
will improve over time as the crystals continue to grow. Therefore, for crystalline admixtures,
testing the absorption at later ages (56 or 90 days) will give more realistic results.

Rapid Chloride Permeability test

Description: The Rapid Chloride Permeability (RCP) test is an electrical test used to estimate
the durability of concrete. Test methods – like ASTM 1202, Standard Test Method for
Electrical Indication of Concrete’s Ability to Resist Chloride Ion Penetration – monitor the
amount of electrical charge passed through cylindrical specimens for six hours. The total
charge passed, in coulombs, is related to the specimen’s ability to resist chloride ion
penetration. Lower levels of charge passed indicate higher resistance.

Where it’s most useful: The RCP test has gained wide acceptance as a relatively easy and
quick method for determining concrete permeability.

Overall, this test method is suitable for evaluating materials and material proportions for design
purposes, and for research and development.

However, it has incorrectly become one of the tests used to evaluate concrete durability. RCP
can qualify a mix, but not necessarily disqualify it.

The RCP test should not be used to accurately determine the permeability of concrete mixes
containing supplementary cementitious materials or chemical admixtures.

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 Water Permeability test

Description: BS EN 12390-8 and DIN 1048 Part 5 are equivalent tests measuring depth of
water penetration into concrete samples subjected to 0.5 MPa of hydrostatic pressure over three
days. Concrete specimens are cast and cured for 28 days and then placed in the testing device.
The sample holders are open at both ends, with one end subjected to hydrostatic pressure. After
three days, the samples are removed from the testing apparatus, cracked in half vertically and
maximum depth of water penetration measured.
Where it’s most useful: This test determines the true permeability of concrete by evaluating
concrete’s resistance to penetration of water under hydrostatic pressure and should be the
preferred test if concrete is subjected to hydrostatic pressure.

The smaller the depth of penetration, the greater the resistance to water under hydrostatic
pressure. This test is useful for basements, tunnels, and water reservoirs, since it realistically
recreates pressure conditions to which these structures are subjected.

Permeability Test on Concrete

1. Three specimen of concrete each of 200mm Dia. and 120mm height are cast.
2. After 24 hours, the middle portion of 100mm Dia. is roughened and the remaining portion is
sealed with cement paste.
3. The specimen are cured for 28 days and then water pressure is applied on the middle roughened
portion so that water can penetrate inside the concrete. The water pressure is maintained as
given below:
 1 bar (1kg/cm2) for 48 hours.
 3 bars for next 24 hours.
 7 bars for next 24 hours.
4. After this, the specimen are split to know the penetration of water. The specimen are split in
compression machine by applying concentrated load at two diagonally opposite points slightly
away from central axis.
5. The average of three maximum values of penetration is calculated. The depth of penetration of
water should not be more than 25mm otherwise the specimen are considered to be failed in
permeability test.

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 Permeability of concrete can be minimized by adopting low water-content ratio, ensuring
proper compaction and curing of concrete as shown in the table below.

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 MIX DESIGN

There is no standard method for proportioning foamed concrete (i.e. mix design), but it is a
specified target plastic density that becomes a prime design criterion. On the basis of target
plastic density a theoretical mix design is to be formulated and site trials are undertaken and
the results from the site trials are used as mix design for the foamed concrete.

A tolerance on plastic density was considered about 100 kg/m3 of the target plastic density.
Assuming a target plastic density of 1900 kg/m3 since the foam concrete is in slurry form
higher water-cement ratio is required so assuming W/C is 0.35. For the mix design we are
considering cement: fly ash in 1:0.5 proportion and proportion for cementitious material
(cement+flyash) and sand is 1:1.

Generally, the foaming agent is taken as 0.14% of weight of the cement. The ratio of foaming
agent and water is taken as 1:40. The 1kg of foaming agent is diluted on 40 liters of water. The
mix design is done based on the site trails.

Target density = weight of cement + weight of fly ash + weight of sand weight of foam
+amount of water in liter.

As been discussed before, trial and error method (site trails) was used in determine the most
suitable mixture in preparing research samples.

From the site trails following proportions are obtained and will be used as mixed design of foam
concrete.

Table 1: mixed proportions for formed concrete

Site trail cement fly ash Sand Water Foam Foam Density
(kg) (kg) (kg) (liter) (Kg) (liter) (kgLm^3)

1 700 350 1050 245 1 40 2345

2 650 325 975 227 0.98 39.2 2178.5

3 600 300 900 210 0.85 34 2010.85

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