Experimental investigation of perlite-based lightweight concrete for sustainable easy-wall applications under various curing conditions

Expanded perlite concrete and related lightweight cementitious composites are emerging as novel sustainable construction materials for reducing structural dead loads, improving handling, and offering potential benefits for thermal insulation materials; however, many designs for non-structural wall panels remain insufficiently optimized across perlite grading, replacement level, admixture strategy, and curing method. Existing studies often examine these parameters in isolation, limiting direct comparison of their combined effects. This study addresses this gap by evaluating how perlite grading (0.8 mm and 2.0 mm), replacement ratios (10%, 14%, 17%, 20%), additive strategy (superplasticizer, brick-powder, polymer adhesive), and curing methods (air curing versus water curing by submersion or spraying) affect density, compressive strength, and elasticity in lightweight perlite composites. Sixteen mix designs were prepared, and for each mix, three 50 × 50 × 50 mm cube specimens were tested under air-curing conditions and three under water-based-curing conditions. Saturated-surface-dry density, compressive strength, and load-displacement are recorded. The results are obtained at curing ages of 12, 21, and 23 days and are normalized to 28 days for a consistent assessment. The findings show that increasing perlite content consistently lowers density while reducing compressive strength and elastic modulus; water curing can slightly improve strength but significantly increase density due to water uptake. The lightest air-cured mix is M1-P17A, achieving an approximate density of 990 kg/m³ and a compressive strength of 3.76 MPa. M2-P10A showed the highest strength potential, reaching at least 8.9 MPa at 1256 kg/m³ before testing was limited by machine capacity, indicating its promise as a candidate mix for higher-strength lightweight non-structural wall panel applications pending panel-level validation.