Study of some properties of sustainable lightweight concrete-based on epoxy, scoria and charcoal.

The development of infrastructure and the increased demand for concrete has resulted in high demand for cement and the depletion of virgin aggregates which harm the environment. Construction materials must prioritize economics, efficient energy use, and environmental preservation to promote sustainable development. Utilizing locally accessible building materials is one of the techniques used in the creation of lightweight concrete since it offers several advantages over normal-weight concrete. This paper aims to study the effect of the suitability of scoria and charcoal as fine and coarse aggregate and to replace the cement with epoxy to produce lightweight concrete. Four series have been used to produce lightweight concrete with mixed proportions of (1:2:4) (epoxy: scoria or charcoal fine: scoria or charcoal coarse) and (1:6) (epoxy: scoria or charcoal coarse) by volume. Compressive strength, bulk density, and water absorption tests have been applied to samples that were cured at 7, 14, and 28 days. The results showed that the compressive strength, bulk density, and water absorption of series 1 (epoxy: scoria fine: scoria coarse) and series 2 (epoxy: scoria coarse) were better than the series 3 (epoxy: charcoal fine: charcoal coarse) and series 4 (epoxy: charcoal coarse). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]