Producing Light Weight Concrete Using Pumice and Mineral Aggregates and Comparing the Curing Process of Autoclave with Saturated Condition

Abstract

In this study, several specimens of concrete are constructed of light pumice and mineral aggregates with different aggregate grading, water cement ratio and different weight combinations. Optimum mixing design using micro silica is given and then curing process of constructed concrete with finally mixing design is compared in the saturated condition with the combination of saturated and autoclave conditions. The results show that using above-mentioned light weight materials reduce the specific weight for 14% and gain 28-day cylindrical strength up to 287 kg cm-2, the best way to get fast compressive strength of specimens is to keep them in saturated conditions for three days after making and then placing them in the autoclave environment under pressure for 15 min under the 1.5 atmosphere pressure. To achieve 28-day compressive strength without placing specimens in saturated environment, they can be placed, 24 h after being made, for 2 h in the autoclave environment under 1.5 atmosphere pressure.