Experimental study of lightweight concrete prepared from super absorbent polymers (SAPs) and glass fibers (GF)

This study investigates the effect of super absorbent polymers (SAPs) and glass fiber (GF) additions on the properties of lightweight concrete. The SAPs act as the pore-forming agent, with the addition of various GF contents (0.1-1.0% by weight of dry ingredients). The results indicate that the use of SAPs at 7% by weight of OPC produces a product with similar properties to conventional lightweight concretes which meet the ASTM C332-17 standard. The addition of GF to the mixture tends to reduce the dry density and compressive strength, but increases the porosity and flexural strength. The results indicate that the use of SAPs at 7% by weight of OPC produce a product with similar properties to conventional lightweight concretes which meet the ASTM C332-17 standard. The 28-day compressive strengths decreased from 7.04 ± 0.07 for control sample to 4.59 ± 0.11 MPa, while the flexural strengths increased from 3.89 ± 0.04 for control sample to 6.72 ± 0.06 MPa. High-porosity lightweight concrete prepared from SAPs and GF shows reduced thermal conductivity and an increased sorption rate. The initial rate of water absorption gradually increases from 2.48 × 10−1 mm/sec0.5 in the sample without GF up to 5.45 × 10−1 mm/sec0.5 in the sample containing 1.0 wt.% GF. Comparison with the literature indicates that the use of SAPs as pore-forming agents in conjunction with GF have the potential to produce fiber-reinforced lightweight concrete with improved properties