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| A Future Building Technology Materials Available Today Using Foam Concrete. For image, photo and chart visit website : http://www.casthome.com |
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| Lightweight Concrete Method (LCM) Introduction to Lightweight Concrete Method (LCM) Also known as : Foam Concrete Technology / Aerated Lightweight Concrete / Cellular Lightweight Concrete Lightweight Concrete Method (LCM) was developed over 60 years ago and has since then been on the international market for more than 20 years. LCM has been used in the building industry for well over one hundred thousand apartments and houses, as well as schools, hospitals, municipal and commercial buildings in over 40 different countries. Buildings constructed using LCM are still standing in good condition. Foam concrete is a mixture of cement, fine sand, water and a special foam, which once harden results in a strong, lightweight concrete containing millions of evenly distributed, consistently sized air bubbles or cells. The density of foam concrete is determined by the amount of foam added to the basic cement, sand and water mixture. Foam concrete is both fire- and water-resistant. It possesses high (impact and air-borne) sound and thermal insulation properties. Foam concrete is similar to conventional concrete as it uses the same ingredients. However, foam concrete differs from conventional concrete in that the use of aggregates in the former is eliminated. Foam aeration or bubbling agent is used to absorb humidity for as long as the product is exposed to the atmosphere, allowing the hydration process of the cement to continue for its ever-continuing strength development. Application LCM can be applied in the field of construction such as: " cast in-place for a unit of low cost terrace houses and bungalows. " in lightweight bricks or blocks for high-rise buildings. " in panels and partition walls of various dimensions either pre-cast or poured in place. " in all types of insulation works, including cavity walls. " in roofing and ceiling panels. " in sound proofing application. " in pre-cast industrial and domestic building panels, both internal and external. " in pre-cast / in-place exterior wall facades for all sizes of buildings. " in foundations for roads and sidewalks. " in sub-surface for sport arenas, e.g. tennis courts. " in infill sections between beams of suspended floors. " aircraft arresting beds. " crash barriers. " explosion-resistant structure. " highway sound barriers. " floating barge, jetties, walkways, fish cages and floating homes, and " slope protection. Foam concrete offers many other benefits such as: " Reduces the dead weight of a structure. " Can be manufactured to precise specifications of strength and densities. " Possess excellent workability. " Can be nailed, planed, drilled and sawn. " Provides excellent heat and sound insulation. " Can be applied with all traditional surface finishes - paint, tiles, bituminous membrane, carpets etc. ; " Moisture resistant " Fire resistant. Weight reduction Foam concrete density ranges from 250 to 1,800 kg/m3, as compare to 2,400 kg/m3 for conventional concrete. Therefore, the weight of a structure built of foam concrete would undoubtedly be reduced significantly. Thermal insulation Foam concrete with a density of 1,200 kg/m3, for instance, can produce a monolithic wall 5 times thinner and require 10 times lesser raw material (by weight) and possesses 5 times superior insulation properties compared to that of conventional concrete. The amplitude-ratio and phase-displacement of a 15 cm thick wall with a density of 1,100 kg/m3 causes the outside temperature of a building to take between 10-12 hours to reach inside. Such a duration, which is much longer than that of conventional concrete wall, results in the foam concrete being naturally air-conditioning. Fire rating In 1,100 kg/m3 density LCM, a 13 to 14 cm thick wall has a fire endurance of 5 hours. The same degree of endurance is achievable with a 400 kg/m3 density LCM of only l0 cm thick. LCM is non-combustible and the air-embedded in LCM attributes to the high fire-rating. Sound insulation LCM is a perfect impact and air-borne sound absorbing concrete and hence, highly suitable for party walls and floor screeds / foundations. Savings in material Reduction in dead weights contributes substantially to savings in reinforcing steels in foundations. The dimensions and therefore, the overall quantity of steel reinforcement in LCM can be reduced by as much as 50%. Savings are also substantial in transportation, crane-and man-handling related activities as well as in raw materials, as no gravel is required to produce LCM but only sand, cement, water and air, with the resulting mortar/paste subsequently embedded in the foam. Casting very slender walls can optimize the amount of concrete used, and some of our consumers had produced walls as thin as 50 mm thick. The high flow ability of LCM makes vibration unnecessary, and thus requires no prescription of vibrating equipment/accessories. Savings in Manpower Only a few semi-skilled workers are needed to produce LCM concrete for casting / pouring of panels, blocks or even complete walls for houses. In producing LCM, steelworks, formworks, brick laying and cement renderings do not constitute major site activities, and therefore the related workers are not required. Workers are only needed to set up cost saving and reusable formworks, and for removal of formworks for next erection / casting. Glass and Steel Fiber addition Mixing randomly distributed short fibers in LCM results in a three-dimensionally reinforced matrix. The fibers have the effect of increasing the static and impact strength, reducing early-age cracking and also reducing water absorption. Compressive Strength An average compressive strength of 2.86 MPa has been achieved on a 650 kg/m3 density LCM cubes following 28 days of standard water-cure. Tests done to date on other densities revealed that 28-day strength exceeding 18 MPa is achievable depending on the density of the mix. Studies also show that compressive strength of above 20 MPa is obtainable with the addition of short fibers and steel mesh reinforcements. Life span of Foam concrete Foam concrete has a life span of 100 years. Previous investigation has shown that sectioned blocks of foam concrete cast 10 years ago indicated only 75 percent of the cement hydrated. It is expected that the strength would continue to increase with continuing hydration. The use of LCM in many cases makes additional man-made products like clay bricks and other insulation materials out-dated. Easy application No special skill is required in applying the system. It is fully adoptable or at least adaptable into existing concrete or prefabrication plants, adding only the LCM Foam Generator to produce and discharge foam of a precise dose into the mixer. LCM may later be pumped using conventional concrete pumps. Due to the absence of gravel and the ball-bearing effect of the foam, LCM possesses a high degree of flow ability. No vibration is thus required and LCM completely fills all gaps and voids in the concrete or mould, fully embedding any hoses, tubes, frames for windows and doors. Where mixing and pumping equipment are not readily available, LCM offers a mobile mixing and pumping unit, discharging mixes at approximately l2 m3 of LCM per hour. Fast completion The rapid mixing and high fluidity of LCM facilitates speedy casting of building elements. With the application of vertical molds to cast complete houses in place, omission of vibrating equipment results in the entire walls and ceiling/roof of a building being filled in one step. Openings (or the actual frames) for doors and windows, and ductings and conduits for sanitary and electrical services can be cast in place and firmly embedded in the foam concrete. Foaming agent LCM foaming agent is based on a protein-hydrolisation and is bio-degradable. It causes no chemical reaction with the surrounding matrix but serves solely as wrapping material for the air to be encapsulated in the concrete (mortar). Production procedures Only sand, cement and water are mixed in accordance with the design-mix charts recommended by LCM that take into consideration suitable property-enhancing materials like fibers and other pozzolan and/or cementitious products. The water-to-cement ratio must be strictly followed since too little water might cause the cement to draw its requirement from the foam, causing the latter to collapse partly or in total. The extremely high stability and stiffness of the LCM foam allows any density of LCM concrete from as low as 250 kg/m3 to 1800 kg/m3 to be produced with an optimum ratio of strength-to-density. The possible wide range of densities achievable thus offers multiple and diversified applications, such as site mixing, off-site mixing, prefabrication, pre-cast or cast in place. Curing LCM requires curing means and period identical to that of conventional concrete. It is essential as in conventional concrete, that cement-based elements need moisture for hydration at an early age. This is particularly true in the presence of direct sunlight that is known to cause rapid dehydration of concrete surfaces and that curing compound can be applied as an alternative barrier. Skim coating LCM requires no plaster (as in sporex-type cellular concrete), and a usual water-repellent paint suffices. However, where desired, LCM can hold plaster very well, offering superb adhesive properties. It is also possible to apply wallpapers directly onto the surface. Nevertheless skim coating is highly recommended with LCM. Popular applications LCM of density 300 kg/m3 offers the only system worldwide to produce a solely mineral-based insulation board with the same insulating properties as man-made polystyrene, polyurethane or mineral wool, with no hazardous elements to health, environment or fire. LCM of density between 250 - 550 kg/m3 is primarily used for thermal insulation or fire protection. It uses only cement (or with a small proportion of sand), water and foam and can easily be pumped into moulds of varying orientations. LCM of density between 600 - 800 kg/m3 is used for void-filling, such as in landscaping (above/underground construction), filling voids behind archways and refurbishing damaged sewerage systems, as well as producing masonry units. LCM of density ranging from 800 to 900 kg/m3 is primarily used in the production of blocks and other non-load bearing building elements such as balcony railings, partitions, parapets, etc. LCM of density ranging from 1100 - 1400 kg/m3 are commonly used in prefabricated and cast in place walls, either load-bearing or non-load bearing. It can also be successfully used for floor screeds. LCM of density between 1600 - 1800 kg/m3 would be recommended for slabs and other load-bearing building elements where higher strength is obligatory. Minimum Investment As conventional concrete and prefabrication plants may be used to produce LCM, the only investment that would be necessary is in the inexpensive foam generator and the foaming agent, and the latter contributes to only about 10% of the overall cost of LCM. Conclusion We are looking at re-exploring a 60-year old invention. With little modifications, we do hope to bring about differences in the way houses are constructed and foam concrete is utilized to its full potential, contributing significantly to both time and cost effectiveness. Currently LCM is being exported to 6 countries namely Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Taiwan and China. We do hope to expand it further to other continents but I personally would like more Malaysian companies or individuals to join me for mutual benefits. We are currently cooperating with the Faculty of Civil Engineering of University Technology Mara (UiTM) of Shah Alam. Malaysia under Assoc. Prof. Dr Azmi Bin Ibrahim and Dr Hamidah Binti Mohd Saman on further R & D to increase it's potential usage and also to increase it's already proven strength. Further more, we are also cooperating with University Technology Tun Hussien Onn (KUITTHO) in Batu Pahat, Johor, Malaysia under Assoc. Prof. Dr Lee Yee Loon on R & D for water filtrations for very low densities, floating platforms as well as casting of others building elements. Lastly, Our Associate partners in the professional fields of Civil Structural Engineering are IR. Suffian Bin Wahid who is the principal partner of IKTISAS INGENIEURS (PHG) SDN BHD and Mr Zahari Bin Ahmad the Associate Partners of ASR Architect. Thank you very much. Yours Truly. Alex Liew Chung Meng Contact Person : Alex Liew LIEW CHUNG MENG ( CA 0008236-V ) LOT - 78, JALAN BESERAH. ( Opposite TAN CHONG - NISSAN Showroom ) 25300. KUANTAN. PAHANG. MALAYSIA. Tel : 609-5162911 / 5162912 Fax : 609-5162913 H/phone : 019-9160861 E-mail : alcm8@pd.jaring.my W-site : http://maxpages.com/alexliew For Images of products , please visit website: http://www.casthome.com |
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