Concreto leve estrutural: substituição do agregado graúdo convencional por argila expandida

Abstract

Due to the population growth, the constructions have become vertical and the buildings even higher through the years, which made necessary new types of constructions and new materials that can help to optimize the process and the end result without compromising the structural safety. The structural lightweight concrete is a permissible way to decrease the concrete density using lightweight aggregates. The expanded clay is used as coarse aggregate replacing the gravel and being an alternative to the conventional construction methods. The lightweight concrete compressive strength is lower when compared to conventional concrete, however the main characteristic presented by lightweight concrete is a low density, which generates the relief structures. Thus, the cost is reduced as a whole and the structural safety is guaranteed by the efficiency factor, property used to compare different materials with different density and strength. Besides the mechanic properties, this lightweight concrete is also useful as a wall because it has thermal and acoustic insulation. Therefore, this project has the final goal of go through the execution means, present the advantages and disadvantages and also evaluate the properties of a concrete mix of the structural lightweight and compare the results to the conventional concrete at the same ratio of concrete mix.