Influence of Expanded Clay Aggregates in Abrasion Resistance of Lightweight Concrete

Abstract

Durability is one of the key factors considered in the specification of concrete for most of its applications. When applied to industrial floors, road pavements, and sidewalks, abrasion wearing impairs the concrete performance. This work is focused on the abrasion resistance of lightweight concrete produced with expanded clay, comparing it to the performance of a conventional concrete produced with normal-weight aggregates, and with mixture proportion for an estimated compressive strength of 30 MPa. The lightweight aggregate structure was investigated through mercury intrusion porosimetry and water absorption tests. The parameters used to evaluate the abrasion phenomena were thickness and mass loss of the concretes, which resulted from the friction between the specimens and an abrasive material. Although the expanded clay presents lower abrasion resistance than the normal-weight aggregate, due to its higher porosity; for example, both concretes behaved similarly regarding their wearing resistance. The denser interfacial transition zone between the expanded clay and the cement paste in the lightweight concrete seems to compensate for the lower wear resistance of the aggregate.