Experimental Investigation of Partial Replacement of Coarse Aggregate with Pumice Stone and Polypropylene Fiber

In current trends, standards for concrete structures have seen tremendous growth. There are numerous types of concretethat have been classified as per their grades and properties based on their specifications. It is a known fact that reducing the weight of the materials used in a building will be an added advantage to make construction more economical. Based on this, it is planned to design lightweight concrete blocks in various mix ratios with ingredients like cement, fine aggregate, coarse aggregate and lightweight aggregates like pumice stone and polypropylene fiber. The concrete specimen was cast as per IS 456:2000, and various tests like workability and compression strength were carried out, and results were noted. In concrete, coarse aggregate was replaced with pumice stone as it is a lightweight material. Replacement was done at 40%, 60%, and 80% with the addition of polypropylene fiber at 0.2%. Pumice stone has high thermal insulation properties and low specific gravity compared to other materials. Polypropylene fiber is resistant towards acids; it does not absorb moisture like various other fibers. Polypropylene fiber establishes low specific gravity. In various experiments, flexural strength is not achieved when pumice stones are added. To overcome the issue, polypropylene fibers are added as the PP fiber tends to increase the flexural strength and tensile strength. Hereby, the best and optimum mix suitable for lightweight blocks in the construction was determined by various tests like compression, tensile, and flexural. It can be used for building blocks for superstructure block work as partition walls, pavements, compound walls, walls, etc.