Basic Properties of Artificial Lightweight Aggregate by Using industrial by Product (SILICAFUME)

In the construction industry normally crushed granite aggregate is commonly used as an inert material for preparing conventional concrete. In the recent past this industry is facing shortage of natural granite aggregate due to abundant usage of natural resources. This necessitates finding an alternative building material. This led to the wide spread research on using viable waste materials from industrial by products. Artificially manufactured lightweight aggregates can be produced from industrial by-products such as Silica fume, Metakaolin, Fly ash, Blast furnace slag, slag or sludge waste or palm oil shell, shale, slate, clay etc. Lightweight aggregate has been the subject of extensive research which affects the strength properties of cement concrete. The industrial by product such as silica fumeis a promising material to produce light weight aggregate. By adding small quantities of binding materials like cement and lime to the industrial by product i.e. Silica fume along with water in a rotating drum pelletizer and by rotating it at certain angle about 12o to 15o, the rounded pellets can be formed. The pelletized aggregates can be soaked in a curing pond for 28 days and afterwards they can be used in concrete.