Lightweight Concrete: Mechanical Properties

There is a limited amount of test data on the mechanical properties of high-strength lightweight concrete (LWC) with a concrete unit weight (wc) between that of traditional LWC and normal weight concrete (NWC). Concrete with a wc in this range is also not covered in the American Association of State Highway and Traffic Officials (AASHTO) Load-and-Resistance Factor Design (LRFD) Bridge Design Specifications. This research program includes a significant number of mechanical property tests on this type of concrete. The results from this research project are included into a LWC database that covers a range of wc to determine trends for LWC as a function of wc. New design expressions for mechanical properties are proposed for LWC as a function of wc as opposed to the more common method of using concrete constituent materials. The design expressions represent potential revisions to the AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications relating to the mechanical properties of LWC.