Abstract:
The article presents part of the results of the study of the components of foam concrete made by
the two-stage foam injection method, in particular, the influence of microsilica and post-alcohol
bard on the setting time and strength of cement. The paper shows the methodology for
determining the compressive and flexural strength, selection of the composition of components,
analysis, and evaluation of setting times, and strength characteristics of the compared samples.
During the study, laboratory experiments were performed to better understand how these
additives affect the behavior of cement mixtures. The studies carried out allow us to determine
the influence of the modified additive components on the properties of foamed concrete during
the production process. The setting time analysis presented in the study revealed that increasing
the concentration of the additive significantly reduced the setting time performance of cement.
With increasing the content of microsilica and post-alcohol bard at 10% and 30% of the cement
weight, the setting initiation and completion times are significantly reduced. To evaluate the
change in strength, samples were made and tested in compression and flexure at ages of 3, 7, 14,
21, and 28 days of normal moisture curing. According to the results, it was found that the
additive, by accelerating the curing, promotes strength improvement both at an early age and at
the design age (28 days). The experimental results showed that the flexural and compressive
strength of the material increased as the concentration of the additive increased. The maximum
increase in flexural and compressive strength was recorded at additive concentrations of 10%
and 30%. This indicates the important role of additives in the strengthening of materials and
their potential application in construction. The additive showed an optimum positive effect,
therefore, the use of this percentage of additive is the most effective for increasing the
compressive and flexural strength of concrete.
