Affordable Lightweight High Performance Concrete (ALWHPC) - Expanding The Envelope of Concrete Mix Design

One way to reduce excess material would be to lighten the load on a structure with the use of affordable lightweight high performance concrete (ALWHPC). Most or all lightweight high performance concrete mixes used today include lightweight aggregates as the coarse aggregate and sand for the fine aggregate. ALWHPC mix designs contain all lightweight aggregates and cementitious materials that are readily available throughout the United States. Instead of 115 – 120 pcf, ALWHPC mix designs range from 88 – 100 pcf and strengths from 2,700 – 8,700 psi compressive strength. This research will explore the use of local lightweight aggregates along with different local cementitious materials (i.e., fly ash and Portland cement) and admixtures to create an affordable lightweight high performance concrete mix design