The Effect of Foaming Agent Variations on the Mechanical Properties and Water Absorption of CLC Lightweight Bricks

The growing demand for environmentally friendly building materials has driven the development of alternatives to conventional bricks. Cellular Lightweight Concrete (CLC) is one such innovation, offering lightweight properties and a cleaner production process that does not require firing. This study aims to evaluate the effect of foaming agent variations on the mechanical and physical characteristics of CLC lightweight bricks made from rice husk ash and nickel slag waste. The foaming agent variations used were 0.4 l/m3, 0.6 l/m3, and 0.8 l/m3. Specimens in the form of beams measuring 10 cm × 20 cm × 60 cm were prepared and tested in the laboratory. The observed parameters included compressive strength and water absorption, calculated based on the maximum load over the compression area and the difference between dry and wet mass, respectively. Results showed that the 0.6 l/m3 foaming agent variation produced the highest compressive strength (average 0.21 MPa) and the highest water absorption (36.09%), while the 0.8 l/m3 variation resulted in slightly lower compressive strength (0.19 MPa) but a reduction in water absorption to 27.69%. These findings affirm that selecting the appropriate foaming agent is critical for optimizing the performance of lightweight bricks. The combination of rice husk ash and nickel slag waste processed with 0.6 l/m3 foaming agent proved to be the most effective. This contributes to the development of technically efficient and environmentally sustainable CLC products.