PERLITE POWDER AND STEEL FIBER EFFECTS ON PROPERTIES OF LIGHT WEIGHT CONCRETE

Lightweight concrete (LWC) highly beneficial as a construction material, producing lower weight, improved durability, longer spans qualified, fewer piers, and continuation of bridge structures. LWC can be identified as one of the numerous compelling topics related of its benefits such as degraded in the size of concrete segments, reinforcement ratios, moldings and scaffolding, foundation expenses as well as the savings generated by the low cost of transport and constructing. Modifications in the dimensions of columns and beams size lead to a voluminous space, and reductions in self-weight can improve seismic resistance in building structures. Moreover, high-grade fire resistance, thermal insulation, sound absorption, frost resistance, and enhanced damping are other benefits of lightweight concrete. The main purpose of the present study is to investigate the lightweight concrete made from the lightweight material called (Perlite) as replacing part of coarse aggregate with ratios (0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30%) and its effects on compressive strengths and density. Besides the effect of perlite powder, steel fiber effect with the content of (0, 1.0 and 2.0%) was studied. Twenty-one (cylinders and cubes) average specimens according to ASTM for determining the compressive strength and density tests are performed at age of 28 days. The results show good performance of concretes containing expanded perlite powder and increasing steel fiber content increasing the compressive strength.