Sorption characteristics of foam concrete

Knowledge of sorption characteristics like absorption and sorptivity of building materials are of importance as they affect the durability and other properties. In the case of lightweight concrete like aerated and foam concrete, the moisture movement behaviour becomes more complex as such concretes contain much larger volume of air voids. This paper is aimed at investigating the sorption-related properties of foam concrete as affected by its composition and pore structure. Water absorption by complete immersion and sorptivity are measured for various mixes with different fly ash replacement levels for sand and different foam volume. It was found that sorption values are lower than the corresponding base mix (without foam) and the values reduce with increase in foam volume. It is also found that sorption depends on the filler type, density and pore structure and also on permeation mechanisms. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.