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Black (2004). It Is Also Interesting To Note That The Importance Of Concrete ...

Black (2004). It is also interesting to note that the importance of concrete has increased with the need for refined and purpose specific concrete mixes where the role of concrete has been not only to provide the structural support but also the desired strength at the required physical conditions that is set in the given geographical location as argued by Glenn A . Black (2002). The growth of the expanded clay and shale industry since the dawn of the 20th century and the developments during the Second World War when the lightweight aggregate concrete using clay and shale was used to construct the war ships marked the accelerated growth of the use of lightweight aggregate concrete as argued by Glenn A. Black (2004).
2.2: Definition of lightweight aggregate
In order to define the lightweight aggregate the topic under research in this thesis, it is essential to present the fundamentals surrounding the lightweight aggregate. Hence this section first presents a brief research on aggregate, its role in construction as part of the concrete mix and then move towards the core topic (i.e.) the definition of lightweight aggregate.
Aggregate is the terms used to collectively refer to the ingredients in making a concrete mix that gives strength and texture to the overall concrete composition made of sand, cement and aggregate as argued by Glenn A. Black (2004). Aggregate is the composite material of the concrete that is aimed to resist compressive stress making it clear that the size, strength and weight of the aggregate materials are critical components for the overall efficiency of the concrete to manage the compressive stress as argued by Glenn A. Black (2004).
The modern day concrete uses Portland cement as the cementing element and the aggregate that is held together by the cement and water to design concrete for different degrees of strengths, durability, heat & sound insulation, and water tightness as argued by Glenn A. Black (2004). This makes it clear that the aggregate is the critical component of the concrete that attributes to note only the strength and quality of the concrete but also dictates the nature of the applications and the extent to which innovation in engineering can be taken to. The key physical quality of the aggregate is the compressive strength that it can support for a given composition.
The lightweight aggregates that are researched in this report typically attribute to up to 80 pounds per square inch which is used mainly applications that demand lightweight concrete by virtue of the positioning or for the reinforcement, insulation etc.


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