Mechanical properties of lightweight concrete using palm oil clinker: an overview

Abstract

The use of industrial waste as construction material to build environmentally sustainable structure has several practical and economic advantages. Palm oil clinker is a waste material obtained by burning off solid wastes during the process of palm oil extraction. The research performed over the last two decades concerning the use of palm oil clinker as lightweight aggregates concrete is summarized in this paper. A series of concrete mixes were studied and analysed in replacing the coarse and fine aggregates by palm oil clinker. The mechanical properties of the palm oil clinker lightweight concrete are addressed and discussed. The specific gravity for the palm oil clinker must be less than the normal weight aggregate which is below 2.20. The parameters of mechanical properties were reviewed included compressive strength, tensile strength (flexural and splitting) and Young’s modulus. The review showed the positive impact in concrete properties when replaced the normal coarse and fine aggregates with the palm oil clinker. The range of compressive strength of the palm oil clinker lightweight concrete was 30 to 44 MPa. This indicates that palm oil clinker concrete has potential for a replacement which helps in producing a sustainable environment thus contributing to effective construction cost.