Lightweight Concrete Floor

Concrete is considered to be lightweight is the density is not more than 2200kg m 3 the density of normal weight concrete is assumed to be between 2300kg m 3 and 2400kg m 3 and a proportion of the aggregate should have a density.
Lightweight concrete floor. Watch this video before using lightweight concrete as sound barrier between floors duration. Problem clinic lightweight concrete floor over plywood. To make this concrete combine 8 parts cement sand and lightweight aggregate with 5 parts water. For the second story a foamed type of lightweight concrete is being used over plywood for sound absorption between floors.
Lightweight concrete may not be as structurally sound as traditional concrete but it can be useful in some projects where weight is more important than strength. Most notably renzo piano s the shard a marvelous 95 floor structure made of lightweight concrete that took only four years to build. If the aggregates aren t fully saturated they have a tendency to float towards the surface of the mix after it has been placed. We are building a 2 story condominium complex with concrete slab on grade.
It is a low density hardened portland cement paste or mortar containing a large number of small bubbles of air which gives it a fine cellular structure. These two reasons are why it is used for lightweight concrete floors lightweight concrete roofing and lightweight concrete block. Lightweight aggregates require wetting prior to use to achieve a high degree of saturation. However this increased cost is offset by number of factors which are discussed below.
Dead weight reduction leads to the decline of total load on foundation and hence smaller foundation would be needed. Foam concrete cellular lightweight concrete is a lightweight building material combining good mechanical strength with low thermal conductivity and ease of working. Please send us information. In recent years it has been used in certain parts of europe asia america.
Suspended floors have been benefiting from lightweight concrete for years as it reduces the weight on the structure and increases fire resistance. Lightweight concrete floor over plywood how to. Structural lightweight concrete has an in place density unit weight on the order of 90 to 115 lb ft 1440 to 1840 kg m. The cost of lightweight concrete floor is greater than conventional concrete by less than 1 percent.
Lightweight concrete mixture is made with a lightweight coarse aggregate and sometimes a portion or entire fine aggregates may be lightweight instead of normal aggregates. Because lightweight concrete is typically thinner is made of different ingredients than traditional concrete. Economy lightweight concrete floors. By concrete construction staff.