Study on the Influence of Density and Water–Cement Ratio on the Cement Utilization, Fluidity, Mechanical Properties, and Water Absorption of Foam Concrete

Abstract

In this paper, we study the influence of density and the water–cement (W/C) ratio on the slurry fluidity, compressive strength, and water absorption of foamed concrete (FC) and its mechanism of action, with the aim of proposing an optimal mix ratio for FC to reduce cement usage and carbon emissions in the construction industry and ensure the good overall performance of FC. In this experiment, two groups of experiments were designed using the control variable method. Fluidity and uniaxial compression tests showed that when the density was 600 kg/m3 and the W/C ratio was 0.6, the FC slurry had maximum fluidity, but its mechanical properties were poor and it collapsed easily. Conversely, by analyzing the uniaxial compressive strength/cement (UCS/C) ratio, it was observed that the mix ratio had a maximum cement utilization rate (W/C ratio) of 0.5 and a density of 1000 kg/m3. Nondestructive testing methods were used to measure the ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) and rebound value of the FC test block, and the strength and durability of FC were analyzed. The water absorption rate of the FC test block was tested, and the final analysis showed that the optimal mix ratio of FC in this test was W/C = 0.5, with a density of 1000 kg/m3.