The influence of perlite on concrete properties. Case study

There is a global concern for reducing energy consumption and protecting the environment. The use of products with high thermal resistance, to make the envelope of a building, favours the reduction of energy consumption for heating/cooling of building and, implicitly, the reduction of CO₂ emissions. The replacement, total or partial, of the basic components of the concrete compositions, can lead to the obtaining of innovative products with modified physical-mechanical properties, which meet the energy efficiency requirements of buildings. The study examines the effect of replacing the volume of sand in percentages of 10%, 20%, 30% and 100% with an equivalent volume of perlite, and the results have underlined that these compositions reduced density and thermal conductivity, compared to the reference concrete. The research carried out has emphasized that perlite can be successfully introduced in the production of concrete blocks used for non-load-bearing external wall panels, the outstanding feature being the reduced their thermal conductivity and weight. The paper identifies solutions for the use of perlite in the prefabricated construction industry.