Investigation of engineering properties of building materials made with acidic and alcaline pumice

ABSTRACT: In recent years, pumice having a number of advantages according to industrialrow materials widespreadly increases usability in construction and building sector. Theseadvantages of pumice are having low unit volume weight, high thermal and sound insulation,easily taken plaster and workability, elastic materials due to earthquake forces andbehaviour, economic and saving workings. The usability of acidic and alkaline pumice aslightweight aggregate in building sector were determined by laboratory works in this study.The samples of acidic and alkaline pumice were obtained from Nevşehir and Toprakkale(Osmaniye) area respectively. The geological, physical and chemical properties of Nevşehirand Toprakkale pumice as aggregate material were determined and various dimension andtype concrete as building material in convenient mixing ratio were produced. Theengineering features of concrete were found and appropriateness of concrete characteristicsto Turkish standards were investigated. After concrete testing, it was decided to produce ofbimsbloc which have suitable unit volume weight from Nevşehir acidic pumice. Physical andmechanical properties of bimsbloc which are four different type and dimension weredetermined. Furthermore, thermal and sound insulation properties of concrete and bimsblocin the thermal and sound insulation laboratories in the Department of Mining Engineering atÇukurova University were studied and usability in industrial sector was investigated.Bimsblocs and concrete which are produced from Nevşehir and Toprakkale pumice due tolaboratory test results in building sector are quite economic construction materials in termsof earthquake, and thermal and sound insulation.Key words: Pumice, Light concrete, Thermal conductivity, Sound insulation, BimsblocII