EFFECT OF MUNICIPAL HEATING SYSTEM COAL ASH ON THE INSULATION PROPERTIES OF LIGHT WEIGHT CONCRETE

Abstract

Large quantities of coals have been used as fuel use for central heating system in Turkey. It has been causing a considerable waste that has been dumped into landfills. On the other hand enhanced construction activities, shortage of conventional building materials and abundantly available industrial wastes have promoted the development of new building materials. In this study, usage of coal ash as supplementary building material in light weight concrete was investigated. For this purpose, chemical analyses of the coal ash, perlite, and silica fume samples were determined. Lime was added to the coal ash as a binder. The binder (slaked lime) ratio was kept constant at 45% throughout this study. In order to get comparable results samples were prepared with five different compositions. Expanded perlite and silica fume added some mixtures. After certain time of curing, physical and mechanical tests were conducted. It was concluded that, coal ash can be used economically for the production of lightweight building blocks (LWBB). Optimal strength-thermal conductivity combination was obtained by the usage of silica fume and expanded perlite together. Improved strength properties were obtained by using hydrothermal curing conditions and super plasticizer addition