Impact of Surface Treatment and Curing Conditions on the Mechanical Properties of OPS Lightweight Concrete

Abstract:

This study investigated the use of Styrene Acrylic Emulsion (SAE) as a surface treatment for Oil Palm Shell (OPS) aggregates to enhance the mechanical properties of lightweight concrete. SAE, known for its superior adhesion, was applied to OPS to create a protective layer, addressing a gap in current research on OPS concrete. The research examined the impact of SAE-treated OPS under various curing conditions, assessing the compressive, flexural, and splitting tensile strengths. Results demonstrated that continuous water curing (NW) was the most effective for improving the compressive strength of treated specimens, particularly those with moderate SAE treatment (5%, 10%, and 15%). Specimens with 25% SAE treatment (ST25) exhibited reduced strength due to clumping and increased porosity. Flexural and splitting tensile strengths also improved with SAE treatment, with ST5 showing the highest flexural strength and ST10 performing best in splitting tensile strength tests. Alternating curing (AC) conditions showed moderate success, while external curing (EC) conditions negatively impacted strength due to rapid thermal cycling. Overall, the SAE treatment significantly enhanced the bond between the OPS particles and cement matrix, improving the mechanical performance of OPS lightweight concrete. These findings suggest that SAE-treated OPS could provide a sustainable and effective solution for concrete production.

• Periodical: Key Engineering Materials (Volume 999)
• Pages: 101-107
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/p-sy7WA8
• Online since: December 2024
• Authors: Nurhasyimah Ahmad Zamri, Sallehan Ismail*, Azamuddin Husin, Mohd Najib Abd Rashid
• Keywords: Curing Conditions, Lightweight Concrete, Oil Palm Shell, SAE Treatment

References

[1] K.H. Mo, B.S. Thomas, S.P. Yap, F. Abutaha, C.G. Tan, Viability of agricultural wastes as substitute of natural aggregate in concrete: A review on the durability-related properties, Journal of Cleaner Production 275 (2020) 123062.

DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.123062

[2] Y.B. Traore, A. Messan, K. Hannawi, J. Gerard, W. Prince, F. Tsobnang, Effect of oil palm shell treatment on the physical and mechanical properties of lightweight concrete, Construction and Building Materials 161 (2018) 452-460.

DOI: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2017.11.155

[3] M. Maghfouri, P. Shafigh, V. Alimohammadi, Y. Doroudi, M. Aslam, Appropriate drying shrinkage prediction models for lightweight concrete containing coarse agro-waste aggregate, Journal of Building Engineering 29 (2020) 101148.

DOI: 10.1016/j.jobe.2019.101148

[4] P. Shafigh, S. Salleh, H. Ghafari, H. Bin Mahmud, Oil palm shell as an agricultural solid waste in artificial lightweight aggregate concrete, European Journal of Environmental and Civil Engineering 22(2) (2018) 165-180.

DOI: 10.1080/19648189.2016.1182084

[5] N. Ahmad @ Mohd Din, K. Muthusamy, R. Embong, L. Krishnaraj, Recycling of Oil Palm Shell as Aggregate in Concrete: A Review, CONSTRUCTION 4(1) (2024) 28 - 36.

DOI: 10.15282/construction.v4i1.10176

[6] S. Taek Lee, N. Handika, E. Tjahjono, E. Arijoeni, Study on the effect of pre-treatment of Oil Palm Shell (OPS) as coarse aggregate using hot water 50-°C and room temperature water 28-°C to lightweight concrete strength, MATEC Web Conf. 276 (2019) 01023.

DOI: 10.1051/matecconf/201927601023

[7] V.S. Nadh, G.S. Vignan, K. Hemalatha, A. Rajani, Mechanical and durability properties of treated oil palm shell lightweight concrete, Materials Today: Proceedings 47 (2021) 282-285.

DOI: 10.1016/j.matpr.2021.04.373

[8] W.W.S. Chai, D.T.C. Lee, C.K. Ng, Improving the Properties of Oil Palm Shell (OPS) Concrete Using Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) Coated Aggregates, Advanced Materials Research 970 (2014) 147-152.

DOI: 10.4028/www.scientific.net/amr.970.147

[9] M.A. Mannan, J. Alexander, C. Ganapathy, D.C.L. Teo, Quality improvement of oil palm shell (OPS) as coarse aggregate in lightweight concrete, Building and Environment 41(9) (2006) 1239-1242.

DOI: 10.1016/j.buildenv.2005.05.018

[10] J. Wang, H. Li, C. Ma, C. Cai, J. Wang, Effect of surface curing condition on the humidity field and moisture transfer in concrete, Construction and Building Materials 411 (2024) 134701.

DOI: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2023.134701