Abstract:
Foam concrete is regarded by many experts and researchers as an excellent construction material because of its unique properties. However, the use of Foam concrete is limited in general construction, due to its higher production cost, mainly because of the use of costlier imported Foaming Agents (FA). This highlights the need to study manufacturing of low cost Foam concrete, using indigenous FAs like detergents (surfactants).
This research study was designed to produce Foam concrete using locally manufactured detergent, Leopard Surf, as FA, and study its properties and cost comparison to the Foam concrete (control mix) produced using generic FA, Feb Foam.
The research study was conducted into two phases. In first phase, the dosage of FA (Feb Foam), detergent (Leopard Surf), cement content and sand content were varied to achieve optimum mix design. In second phase, using optimum mix design, variations were made in sand content only. For both phases, water to cement ratio of 0.65 was kept constant.
Test results validate that it is feasible to produce Foam concrete using indigenous detergent. The use of such detergent in place of FA resulted in production of low cost Foam concrete having physical and mechanical properties comparable with control mix. Mix design containing surfactant at the rate of 0.4 per cent by weight of cement and having cement and sand in a ratio of 60 and 40 per cent, respectively, was found to satisfy most of the properties (compressive strength, thermal conductivity, dry density, water absorption, drying shrinkage and tensile strength) of Foam concrete as prescribed by ASTM, PCA and ACI.
Comparative cost analysis indicate that optimum mix design, was 42.73 per cent lesser costlier than the corresponding control mix, whereas, both had approximately the same 28-days compressive strength, tensile strength, water absorption, drying shrinkage, and thermal conductivity.
