Performance of Lightweight Peach-Shell Concrete with Optimal Substitution Ratio

Abstract

Peach shell, a distinctive agricultural residue in China, exhibits the potential to substitute concrete aggregates, facilitating the creation of eco-lightweight concrete. This study determines the optimal volume substitution rate based on strength and density for peach-shell concrete. It delves into microscopic features, hydration outcomes, mechanical traits, sound absorption, impermeability, and techniques to enhance the impermeability. The outcomes reveal that peach-shell concrete’s compressive, flexural, and splitting tensile properties are comparatively lower than ordinary concrete due to reduced peach-shell aggregate, cement paste, and interfacial bonding strength. However, it excels in sound absorption owing to larger biological pores. While its impermeability trails ordinary concrete, polyvinyl alcohol coating proves effective for improvement. In essence, this research comprehensively examines peach-shell concrete’s attributes, offering insights for practical applications of lightweight peach-shell concrete. As the planet warms up and its impact on our future becomes more apparent, many researchers have been working on finding ways to use building materials that help cut down on carbon emissions. One effective strategy is adding biochar to concrete, which is exactly what this article looks into. It is all about how replacing a significant portion of the concrete aggregate with peach shells—a type of agricultural waste in China—affects the concrete’s physical, mechanical, and acoustic properties, and how well it resists water seepage. What the article discovered is that this peach-shell concrete is not as strong when it comes to bearing weight, pulling forces, or bending. Additionally, it is not as watertight. But here is the upside: it is lighter in weight and can soak up sound better. This means it could be a good option for making lightweight walls inside buildings that do not have to hold heavy loads. The whole point of this paper is to explore whether we can create useful lightweight concrete using peach shells.