STRUCTURE AND MECHANICS OF CEMENT FOAMS

Lightweight cellular concretes have been available for a number of years. They are made by adding aluminium powder to the cement mix or by introducing a foaming agent to a cement slurry. Materials with densities in the range 320-1600 kg m-3 are commonly available commercially; they are used for insulated concrete roof-deck systems, masonry blocks, cladding panels and engineered fills for geotechnical applications. Their unique set of properties make them attractive as a foam core material for structural sandwich panels: they have moderate thermal insulation, high heat capacity, high stiffness, excellent fire resistance and low cost relative to polymer foams. The structure and mechanical behaviour of cellular cements ranging in density from 160-1600 kg m-1 are described.