Materials Today: Proceedings 66 (2022) 2478–2482

Contents lists available at ScienceDirect

Materials Today: Proceedings

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/matpr

Experimental study on lightweight concrete using Leca, silica fume, and

limestone as aggregates
J. Karthik, H.J. Surendra ⇑, V.S. Prathibha, G. Anand Kumar
Department of Civil Engineering, Atria Institute of Technology, Bengaluru, Karnataka-560024, India

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: This article determines the mix proportions of high-strength structural lightweight concrete (HSSLWC),
Available online 8 July 2022 which uses expanded aggregate clay to decrease the weight of the concrete (LECA). Mineral and chemical
admixtures have been used to reduce porosity and enhance strength in order to create HSSLWC. On the
Keywords: specimens, specific gravity, compressive, indirect tensile, and flexural strengths were determined. By
Light Weight Concrete exposing certain specimens to air, the impact of curing on compressive strength was studied. The findings
Light Weight Aggregates indicate that by including Leca, a lightweight structural concrete (LWSC) with a dry density of 1,600–
LECA
1,960 kg/m3 and a compressive strength of 35–66 MPa may be produced, based on cube specimens with
High Strength Concrete
a 100mmside length. When used with lightweight particles, limestone significantly improved the
mechanical characteristics of concrete.
Copyright Ó 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of 2022 International Confer-
ence on Recent Advances in Engineering Materials.

1. Introduction strength/weight ratio, better tensile strain capacity, lower coeffi-

cient of thermal expansion, and improved heat and sound insula-
Increasing environmental concerns and fast depletion of con- tion properties. The use of lightweight aggregate in concrete has
ventional aggregates have prompted the use of by-products and/ also been claimed to reduce the cross section of columns, beams,
or solid waste materials from many sectors [1]. Lightweight con- plates, and foundations. Also, the requirement for steel reinforcing
crete is recognised for its benefit of decreasing structural self- may be reduced [3]. LWAC has been utilised effectively for struc-
weight and sectional member areas, making construction easier. tural applications for many years. Density typically outweighs
Using lightweight concrete (LWC) in long-span bridges and high- strength in LWC structural applications. Reduced density lowers
rise buildings may decrease construction costs. However, unlike self-weight, foundation size, and building costs [4]. Norokshchenov
ordinary concrete, LWC needs a unique mixing technique. Regular and Whitcomb found that utilising Leca, 520 kg/m3 cement, and
mix design would result in increased material segregation and 20% silica fume (percent by cement weight) may produce light-
decreased strength owing to the lighter aggregate. To prevent such weight concrete with 70.5 MPa compressive strength and
issues, it is advised to use high-performance self-compacting con- 1,860 kg/m3 density [5]. According to certain studies, lightweight
crete for the LWC [2]. Because earthquake forces are related to concrete with 90-day compressive strength of 43.8 MPa and dry
structural mass, reducing structure mass is critical for earthquake density of 1,860 kg/m3 may be made using basalt-pumice aggre-
sustainability and cost-effectiveness. Using LWC in construction gate, 450 kg/m3 cement, and 10% silica fume [3]. Another study
may help decrease a structure’s bulk or dead weight. Concrete found that utilising Brazilian LWC may create lightweight concrete
made from natural lightweight aggregates like pumice, perlite, with a 28-day compressive strength of 53.6 MPa and a dry density
and Leca is readily made. Due to the air spaces in the lightweight of 1,605 kg/m3 [4]. Using Leca, Malhotra developed LWC with 365-
aggregate, structural lightweight concrete (SLWC) offers a greater day compressive strength of 70 MPa and dry density of 2,000 kg/
m3. Malhotra discovered that using 500 kg/m3 cementation mate-
rial, fly ash, and 2% silica fume provided the optimum mix propor-
⇑ Corresponding author. tion [6].
E-mail addresses: karthik.j@atria.edu (J. Karthik), surendra@atria.edu (H.J. The main objective of the research work is to find out the
Surendra), prathibha.vs@atria.edu (V.S. Prathibha), anandkumar.g@atria.edu (G. efficiency of the concrete on using LECA and Silica fume as an
Anand Kumar).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2022.06.453
2214-7853/Copyright Ó 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of 2022 International Conference on Recent Advances in Engineering Materials.
J. Karthik, H.J. Surendra, V.S. Prathibha et al. Materials Today: Proceedings 66 (2022) 2478–2482

ingredient in the formulation of Light weight concrete. The made from limestone. It’s crushable for road ballast. This uses a
strength parameters are also the main concern as the density is lot of limestone. High-calcium limestone is composed of about
compromised. However a desired number of tests are planned to 95% calcium carbonate.
be performed to get a good evidence and the same can be Recrystallized limestone is used as a decorative and construc-
concluded. tion stone. Limestone has a Mohs hardness of 3–4 and a compres-
It’s been used effectively for years. In structural lightweight sive strength of 180–210 MPa, with a water absorption of less than
concrete, density frequently outweighs strength. Reduced density 1%. Table 1 shows the chemistry of silica fume and limestone.
lowers self-weight, foundation size, and building costs. Concrete Table 1 shows Leca’s chemical makeup. Leca is made by heating
technology has advanced rapidly in recent years, making high- clay in portable furnaces to 1,100 °C. It comes in spherical forms, a
performance concrete more accessible. Because of the weather rough surface, and various sizes. The aggregate has a black sponge
and cheap cost, high-performance lightweight concrete is a popu- texture and has 73–88% porosity. The aggregate’s high porosity
lar building material in Brazil. Mechanical characteristics of high- improves characteristics including weight, heat conductivity,
performance lightweight concrete using Brazilian lightweight acoustic loss, and resistance to fire. The aggregates have a 50–
aggregate (lightweight expanded clay) are unknown [7]. Because 100 m thick covering. The covering absorbs less than the interior
of its thermal insulating properties, lightweight concrete is excel- roughness.
lent for coastal building [8]. The colour of Leca is highly dependent on the mineral sources,
LWAC structure usage is being encouraged globally for environ- manufacturing process, and production quality. Leca is often
mental, economic, and technological reasons. LWAC has been used brown in colour. Fine, coarse, and mix aggregates with densities
effectively for many years. For lightweight concrete structural of 1120, 880, and 1040 kg/m3 are utilised in loaded LWC. The pro-
applications, structural efficiency is more essential than strength vided effective fine forms of Leca with absorption percentages of
alone. 13.5 and 29% for soaking durations of 0.5 and 72 h. The sand used
Lightweight concrete may be made in many ways. No-fines con- is river sand with SE 70 and FM 3.
crete is made by omitting the fine part of the total concrete aggre-
gate. Adding stable air bubbles to concrete using chemical
3. Mix proportions
admixtures and mechanical foaming produces LWC. Also known
as ‘‘aerated”, ‘‘cellular or gas concrete”. The most common method
Leca aggregate is light and may cause concrete segregation.
to make LWC is using lightweight aggregate. These aggregates, nat-
Slump heights promote segregation. With silica fume and a suit-
ural or artificial, are widely accessible and may be utilised to pro-
able SP, Leca can solve this issue. All mixes included 10% silica
duce concrete with a broad variety of unit weights and strengths
fume as a cement substitute, with variable amounts of SP to get
[9,10]. Seven mix proportions of C20 ceramsite concrete were
a normal consistency. 1 & 2 have the same details but different
designed by changing the ceramsite proportion. The ceramsite pro-
Leca sizes. The three mixes include 35% Leca (based on total aggre-
portion of 43% was determined as optimal scheme whose 28-day
gate + sand). There are four aggregate sizes on the Leca: 2, 1, and
strength was 29.60 MPa and elastic modulus was 12.45 GPa [13].
0.5. In mix 4 and 5, less water and more cement are used to
increase strength, and Leca represents 30% of the total aggregate.
2. Materials Mix Proportion of all 9 Cube Samples is tabulated in Table 2.
Mix 6 with continuous aggregate size of Leca has the most
The cement with 3,150 kg/m3 density and 0.306 m2/g Blain cement. It has the greatest compressive strength and lowest speci-
specific area, Initial and final set timings are 175 and 230 min is fic gravity. Fig. 1 shows the comparison of compressive strength
used for the study. This study’s silica fume came from Iran’s with type of mix.
iron–silicon business. Silicon fume has 2,200 kg/m3 density and
20.2 m2/g Blain specific area. Previously, silica fume concentration 3.1. Curing of samples
was varied by cement weight, and it was utilised in concrete as a
cement substitute [11,12]. In this research, powdered silica fume The specimens were cured in two ways: open air (outside the
was added to mixtures. Limestone was utilised to strengthen the concrete lab) and water cured. As can be seen in the figure, all com-
voids. Limestone is a common biological sedimentary rock. It is binations have greater strengths when the specimens are cured in
mainly calcite. However, most limestone is loaded with other min- water The optimal mixture, mix 7, has the greatest strengths when
erals and sand, earning it the nickname ‘dirty limestone’. Lime- the specimens are cured in the air compared to the other mixes
stone is a vital rock. It is a construction material, although not as under the same circumstances. Low density Leca aggregates leave
robust as sandstone and readily weathered by acid. Cement is voids in new concrete, even after vibration. Despite appropriate

Table 1
Chemical analysis of Portland cement, silica fume, Leca aggregate, and limestone.

Composition (%) Cement OPC Leca Silica Fume Limestone

SiO2 22 – 93.5 0.53
Fe2O3 3.5 67.05 0.78 –
Al2O3 4.2 6.1 1.41 0.47
CaO 65.2 16.5 0.48 55.7
MgO 1.32 2.5 0.96 –
Na2O 0.27 2 0.3 –
K2O 0.58 0.68 0.94 –
P2O – 2.69 0.12 –
SO3 1.87 0.21 0.1 –
Extra oxides 0.92 0.03 – –
Cl – 0.84 – 0.043
LOI – – – 43.1

2479
J. Karthik, H.J. Surendra, V.S. Prathibha et al. Materials Today: Proceedings 66 (2022) 2478–2482

Table 2
Mix proportions for cube samples (kg/m3).

Mix No. C (Kg) SF (Kg) SP (L) W (Kg) W/C Slump (mm) Fine Aggregate (Kg) Limestone Leca (Kg) Leca Size (mm)
1 450 55 8 200 0.41 40 661.2 – 352.5 2.00–4.00
2 450 55 8 200 0.41 50 661.2 – 352.5 1.00–2.00
3 450 55 8 200 0.41 65 661.2 – 352.5 0.50–2.00
4 495 60 11 175 0.32 250 638.7 – 276.8 2.00–4.00
5 495 60 11 175 0.32 260 492.4 225 210.1 1.00–2.00
6 540 65 9 194 0.33 250 438.1 190 232.6 0.00–4.00
7 495 60 6.8 156 0.29 100 555.65 160 232.6 0.00–4.00
8 495 60 6.8 194 0.36 75 472.8 160 315.8 0.00–4.00
9 495 55 13 195.2 0.36 – 472.8 168 447.1 2.00–4.00

C cement, SF silica fume, SP super plasticizer, W water, Sl slump, FA Fine Aggregate, LS limestone.

Fig. 1. Optimum mixture based on compressive strength.

Table 3
Leca and density for cube samples (kg/m3).

Mix No. Leca (mm) Density at 28 days

2.00–4.00 1.00–2.00 0.50–1.00 0.25–0.50 0.0–0.25 Wet Dry
1 353.8 Nil Nil Nil 1670 1620
2 Nil 353.8 Nil Nil 1720 1693
3 Nil Nil 353.8 Nil 1785 1758
4 275.6 Nil Nil Nil 1793 1766
5 Nil 209.2 Nil Nil 1892 1865
6 36.1 129.4 44.5 17.2 12.1 1833 1806
7 36.1 129.4 44.5 17.2 12.1 1993 1966
8 45.2 173.2 56.3 21.4 16.3 1764 1737
9 442.6 Nil Nil 1761 1734

vibrating, some air spaces persist in new concrete. After shaking, 4. Results and discussion
the surface revealed air spaces. So, to reduce porosity in concrete,
limestone was added in mix no. 5 to 8. 4.1. Compressive strength
Compressive and flexural strengths were utilised for a 100 mm
cube, a 100 mm cylinder, and 100 mm prisms. Six specimens were The findings of this research illustrate that the use of Leca may
utilised at each age of 1, 3, 7, 28, and 90 days. The tensile and flex- be used to produce the required compressive strength in a variety
ural specimens were examined three times at 28 days. They were of applications. During testing, it was discovered that the speci-
demoulded after 24 h and cured in 21 °C water till tested. Five cube mens without limestone had some spaces; however, the voids
samples of each of the nine mixes were cured in air with (70) per- were decreased in the specimens that contained limestone. Inter-
cent relative humidity (RH) until the test day. Table 3 shows the estingly, the limestone specimens exhibited a smoother exterior
different aggregate sizes of Leca and specific gravity for cube surface than the other specimens. It was found that minimizing
samples. the voids resulted in a significant increase in the strengths of the

2480
J. Karthik, H.J. Surendra, V.S. Prathibha et al. Materials Today: Proceedings 66 (2022) 2478–2482

Fig. 2. Strength Improvement (vs) Age of Concrete.

Fig. 4. Relationship between Dry Density and Compressive Strength.

Fig. 3. Effect of curing condition on compressive strength at 28 days.

4.2. Optimum moisture

materials. Fig. 2 depicts the relationship between compressive
According to Fig. 2 and the data in Table 2, as well as a compar-
strength and curing age. Fig. 3 depicts the impact of curing on com-
ison of the strengths obtained for various combinations, particu-
pressive strength after 28 days. It is evident that when comparing
larly mix no. 7, it can be concluded that the water–binder ratio is
samples cured in air to those cured in water, compressive strengths
the most significant element affecting strength enhancement.
of samples cured in air were decreased by about (5–18) percent for
The ratio is 0.28 for mix no. 7. Both mixes contain the same amount
all combinations. The compressive strength of Leca is affected by
of Leca and have the same grain size distribution. Additionally, it
variations in size of the aggregates. Based on the findings of mixes
can be observed that the slump values for the mix is 100 mm, it
no. 1, 2, and 3, it is evident that increasing the fineness of the
should be noted that increasing the amount of limestone leads in
aggregate size leads in a larger rise in the compressive strength
increased absorption. Additionally, it is apparent that the grain size
of the material. It has been found that when the aggregate size is
distribution of Leca is not uniform in combination 7.
altered from 2 to 4 mm to 1 to 2 mm and 0.5 to 1 mm, the com-
The sand–binder ratio is also critical, Finally, it is natural to
pressive strength is raised by about 21 and 28 %, respectively,
hypothesize that combination 7 has a greater strength than the
the compressive strength is increased. The standard deviations
previous mixes. Fig. 4 shows comparison of dry density with com-
for compressive strength at 1, 3, 7, and 28 day ages are (2–8),
pressive strength for 9 mix proportions.
(2–10), (5–9), and (4–9) percent, respectively, for the ages of 1, 3,
7, and 28 days.
The ratios of compressive strengths measured after 1, 3, and 4.3. Specific gravity
7 days to compressive strengths measured after 28 days for the
samples cured in water are (45–52), (61–75), and (78–94) %, Average wet and dry specific gravities of mixes 1 to 9 is shown
respectively. in Table 3. Wet density is the weight of concrete specimens in
Compressive strength of each mix with curing and without cur- moulds after 24 h. It is the weight of concrete after 28 days of open
ing is measured and plotted in the graph. It is clearly seen that Mix air curing. If the unit weight of regular concrete is 2,400 kg/m3, the
7 has higher Compressive strength when compared to other mix unit weight of LWC is decreased by about 17–31 percent. This
designs. Fig. 4 signifies the relationship between dry density and study demonstrates that using LWC reduces lateral seismic stres-
compressive strength. ses by reducing dead weights of structural components. The speci-
2481
J. Karthik, H.J. Surendra, V.S. Prathibha et al. Materials Today: Proceedings 66 (2022) 2478–2482

Table 4 1. High-strength lightweight concrete can be made using LECA

Compressive and flexural strengths at 28 days. and silica fume.
Mix No. Compressive Compressive Flexural 2. When Silica fume is used, it helps to fill the gaps and enhance
Strength at 28 Strength at 28 Days Strength the compressive strength in high-strength lightweight concrete.
Days (Mpa) With (Mpa) Without (Mpa) 3. The particle size of Leca and its contents affect the density
Curing Curing
and compressive strength of lightweight concrete. Using finer LECA
Mix-1 33 28 4 will improve the density.
Mix-2 41 38 5
Mix-3 42 39 5.3
4. When Limestone is used, it enhances the mechanical charac-
Mix-4 44 38 5.9 teristics of lightweight concrete. Also, Using limestone in light-
Mix-5 45 39 6.2 weight concrete increases flexural strength by up to 40% without
Mix-6 46 39 7 affecting specific gravity.
Mix-7 65 52 7.8
6. Curing conditions affect ultimate compressive strength of
Mix-8 48 40 8.1
Mix-9 40 37 9 lightweight concrete. The compressive strength of specimens trea-
ted in air was found to be 18% lower than those cured in water.
Based on the above results, Using LECA as a Light Weight aggre-
gate is Economical and Feasible to Achieve the Light Weight
Concrete.

CRediT authorship contribution statement

J. Karthik: Methodology. H.J. Surendra: Data curation, Writing

– original draft. V.S. Prathibha: Supervision. G. Anand Kumar: .

Data availability

Data will be made available on request.

Declaration of Competing Interest

The authors declare that they have no known competing finan-

Fig. 5. Relationship Between Flexural and Compressive Strengths.
cial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared
to influence the work reported in this paper.

fic gravity of LWC containing Leca varies greatly. Concrete with

References:
more Leca component has a lower specific gravity. Mixes 1–3 were
prepared with different size of aggregates to investigate the effect [1] D.C.L. Teo, M.A. Mannan, V.J. Kurian, C. Ganapathy, Lightweight concrete made
of size on LWC specific gravity. Using finer Leca increases the speci- from oil palm shell (OPS): structural bond and durability properties, Build.
fic gravity of concrete. Using 1–2 mm aggregate instead of 2–4 mm Environ. 42 (7) (2007) 2614–2621.
[2] Y.W. Choi, Y.J. Kim, H.C. Shin, H.Y. Moon, An experimental research on the
and 0.5–1.0 mm instead of 1–2 mm improved the specific gravity fluidity and mechanical properties of high-strength lightweight self-
by 2.7 and 1.3 percent, respectively. In mixes 4 and 5, the propor- compacting concrete, Cem. Concr. Res. 36 (9) (2006) 1595–1602.
tions of limestone and Leca vary. The dry density has risen from [3] A. Kılıç, C.D. Atisß, E. Yasßar, F. Özcan, High-strength lightweight concrete made
with scoria aggregate containing mineral admixtures, Cem. Concr. Res. 33 (10)
1724 to 1820 kg/m3. Thus, adding limestone to combination 5 (2003) 1595–1599.
raises density by approximately 2%. Using 10% limestone in each [4] J.A. Rossignolo, M.V. Agnesini, J.A. Morais, Properties of high-performance
mix increases density by approximately 0.5 percent. However, LWAC for precast structures with Brazilian lightweight aggregates, Cem. Concr.
Compos. 25 (1) (2003) 77–82.
additional benefits of using limestone in concrete clearly outweigh [5] V. Novokshchenov, W. Whitcomb, How to obtain high-strength concrete using
the small increase in specific gravity. In combination 7, 30% Leca is low-density aggregate, Special Publication 121 (1990) 683–700.
used, whereas in mixture 8, 40% is utilised. Increasing the Leca con- [6] V.M. Malhotra, Properties of high-strength, lightweight concrete incorporating
fly ash and silica fume, Special Publication 121 (1990) 645–666.
centration from 30% to 40% reduced the specific gravity by 13%. In [7] H.S. Armelin, M.G. Lima, S.M.S. Selmo, Alta resistência com argila expandida,
all mixes, increasing density increased compressive strength. Fig. 4 Rev IBRACON, Brazil 9 (1994) 42–47.
shows the dry density-compressive strength connection. [8] J. Alduaij, K. Alshaleh, M.N. Haque, K. Ellaithy, Lightweight concrete in hot
coastal areas, Cem. Concr. Compos. 21 (5–6) (1999) 453–458.
[9] N. Haque, H. Al-Khaiat, Strength and durability of lightweight concrete in hot
4.4. Flexural strength marine exposure conditions, Mater. Struct. 32 (7) (1999) 533–538.
[10] Neville, A.M., 1988. Properties of Concrete, ELBS edition of third ed.
The strength of specimens tested after 28 days was found to be [11] G.A. Rao, Role of water–binder ratio on the strength development in mortars
incorporated with silica fume, Cem. Concr. Res. 31 (3) (2001) 443–447.
between 4 and 9 MPa. Summarising of all Strengths values is Tab- [12] B. Chen, J. Liu, Experimental application of mineral admixtures in lightweight
ulated in Table 4. concrete with high strength and workability, Constr. Build. Mater. 22 (6)
Fig. 5 shows the comparison of Flexural Strength with Compres- (2008) 1108–1113.
[13] Y. Chen, Q. Hui, H. Zhang, Z. Zhu, C. Wang, J. Zhao, Experiment and application
sive Strength for 9 Cube Samples. of ceramsite concrete used to maintain roadway in coal mine, Measure.
Control 53 (9–10) (2020) 1832–1840.
5. Conclusion

This research work highlights the following;

2482