Heat of hydration in foamed concrete: Effect of mix constituents and plastic density

Foamed concrete is a versatile material that can be utilised in a wide range of construction projects, although the majority of it is consumed in high volume void filling applications. The advantages of foamed concrete are its high flowability, low self-weight, minimal consumption of primary aggregate, controlled low strength and excellent thermal insulation properties. However, in applications with high volume to surface area ratios, the relatively high Portland cement contents often used in foamed concrete, together with its high thermal insulating capacity, can lead to significant core temperature rises due to heat of hydration. This paper describes a laboratory study of the (i) temperature development of low-density (600 to 1200 kg/m3) foamed concrete with Portland cement contents between 300 and 600 kg/m3, (ii) influence of mix parameters on the temperature profiles, (iii) effect on cube strength, (iv) use of fly ash to ameliorate the problem and (v) provides a method to estimate temperature rise.