Abstract:
Foamed concrete is nowadays considered an attractive building material as a result of flexible production
technology and excellent target properties, along with economic benefits. Heat generated in foamed
concrete during cement hydration is found to differ significantly from normal-weight concrete. Foamed
concrete that is placed in a regular-shaped well-insulated mould experiences significant core temperature
rises and, although several documents discussing the thermal effect in foamed concrete have been
published, there is still a lack of information revealing the interrelations of foamed concrete parameters
and their effect on temperature rise. Laboratory tests were carried out with foamed concrete of variable
densities and volumes under semi-adiabatic curing conditions. The observed trends were used as the
initial input for a mathematical model of temperature prediction in foamed concrete. The heat evolution
process under real production conditions can be controlled by optimising the mix composition. If the
thermal energy in foamed concrete is properly employed it can result in considerable improvement of the
final product characteristics while production costs decrease.
