Study of the mechanical behavior of a lightweight wood concrete

Today, the development of building materials based on toxic or non-toxic industrial waste is a topical issue for the productive structures in industrialized countries. In this article, non-toxic wood waste (wood chips) is used to improve the characteristics of ordinary concrete (lightness, thermal insulation, acoustic absorption, rigidity under stresses, etc.) for the purpose of eventually developing light wood concrete. The present experimental study aims at conducting a comparative behavioral analysis between concretes based on non-toxic wood waste of natural origin on the one hand, and ordinary concrete on the other.In order to achieve this goal, a series of test pieces were made, with five different formulations. Four of them are lightweight wood-concretes obtained by the substitution of a volume of aggregates; the fifth formulation is ordinary concrete. A number of tests were carried out at the Construction Technical Control Laboratory at different ages, i.e. 7, 14, 21 and 28 days. Interesting results were obtained with respect to the evolution of the mechanical characteristics of light wood-concrete at early age. Some of these features, such as the long-term compressive strength of concrete, are essential parameters in civil engineering.