Investigating Durability Behavior and Compressive Strength of Lightweight Concrete Containing the Nano-Silica and Nano Lime Additives In the Acid Environment

Abstract

Lightweight concrete has been used in the construction industry for many years, and by introduction of modern technologies in the construction industry, this type of concrete has been accounted as one of the powerful and reliable materials in the construction industry. The density of lightweight concrete is about 0.56 that of the ordinary concrete. This type of concrete is commonly used as a flooring material in buildings. Thus there is possibility of its corrosion in different climatic conditions. In the present research, we would investigate the compressive strength and durability of the lightweight concrete in the acid environment, so that by specifying the corrosion rate one could have a better understanding of the behavior of these concretes. For making the lightweight concrete in the present research use has been made of pumice aggregate in the mix design, and the acid used is 1M sulfuric acid. Also, the effect of adding two types of Nanomaterials i.e., Nano-silica and Nano clay on the concrete behavior is assessed. The results have shown that in case of keeping the specimens of lightweight concrete in the acid environment for 90 days, their weight reaches 0.56 that of the ordinary specimens. The results of the current research have shown that the use of Nano-silica and Nano lime per 10 wt% of cement could result in the increased compressive strength of the lightweight concrete. So that the concrete compressive strength per 10 wt% of Nano lime increases by 1.43%. On the other hand, the concrete durability in the acid solutions reaches the maximum value per addition of 5% Nano-silica and 5% Nano lime, and has lost a lower percentage of its weight.