Production of Lightweight Foam Concrete Masonry Blocks

Abstract

This paper is concerned with lightweight foam concrete blocks. Cement mortars with various proportions of sand and cement were studied to obtain the acceptable mix to produce foam concrete with various percentages of foam agent. Details of the experimental investigations on foam concrete are presented in this paper. Ten mixes of foam concrete have been tested in order to obtain the optimal mix of foam concrete. Three types of blocks have been considered. Effects of holes in blocks and sizes of holes have been considered. Attention is focused on the variation in distribution of holes in section of blocks. Compressive strength and heat resistance are found to increase significantly in lightweight foam concrete blocks compared to the ordinary systems.