Board of Lightweight Foaming Cement

Pratikto

, Anni Susilowati

and Eko Wiyono

Department of Civil Engineering, State Polytechnic of Jakarta, Jln. Prof. Dr. GA Siwabessy,

UI Depok 16425 New Campus, Indonesia

Keywords: Admixture, Foam Agent, Foam Mortar, Ceiling.

Abstract: In the building of ceilings, foam mortar can be utilized instead of cement board. This lightweight material

may make installation and maintenance easier for users. This study aimed to determine the physical and

mechanical properties of lightly foamed cement boards, investigate the influence of admixture on flexural

strength, and determine the effect of admixture on flexural strength. The research method used is an

experimental method by making cement board test objects. As an independent variable the composition of

the mixture with a ratio of 1 Cement: 1.2 Sand: 0.47 phase, with a mortar ratio of 0.45: 0.55; 31% glass fiber

and 1:30 foam agent as well as 6 different admixture variations, namely 0%, 0.2%; 0.4%; 0.6%, 0.8% and

1.0%. The dependent variable consists of density, specific gravity, nailing ability, and flexural strength. The

results showed that the higher the admixture content, the easier the fresh foam mortar mix to work with. For

the ability to nail all cement boards, it does not split and there are no surface cracks, and also the nails are

easy to pull out. The density value tends to decrease from 0.902 to 0.719 and for specific gravity, it decreases

from 0.944 to 0.749. The value of flexural strength tends to increase and the optimum value is obtained at

0.8% admixture variation of 60.44kg/cm2. The lightweight foamed cement board still meets the specifications

and this lightweight foam mortar mix can be used as an alternative to the lightweight foamed cement board

for ceilings.

1 INTRODUCTION

The ceiling, which serves as a cover for the room's

top, is an important part of the construction process.

Because it is intended to facilitate installation and

maintenance, a ceiling made of cement board must be

light. The incorporation of fiber in composite

materials can boost flexural strength by up to 24.2

MPa, according to research.(Lukmanova et al, 2019).

The findings of a study on glass fiber in concrete

show that the level of workmanship is difficult and it

is necessary to use admixture to facilitate the concrete

mixing process (Sharma et al, 2019).

When using portland cement for wood fiber

cement (WFC) boards, it takes a long time to set and

is difficult to compact. The water-cement ratio of

WFC paste was found to be 1:1.3, while the wood-

cement ratio was 1: 1. The water-cement factor,

which affects the production of wood-fiber cement

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boards, has a magnitude of 1: 1. Working will become

more challenging if the ratio used is 1:1,3 (Han, Tan

and Zhao, 2017).

Cement board with 5:95, 15:85, and 25:75

fiber/cement ratios with pressures of 0, 1.4, 2.4, 4.2,

5.5, 6.9, and 8.3 MPa. As the amount of waste paper

on the board increased, the results of the flexural

strength test and the modulus of rupture fell. The fiber

content and pressure optimal levels were 5% and 6.9

MPa, respectively. Under ideal circumstances, the

cement board that has been tested meets the flexural

strength requirements for the Grade 2 cement board

according to ASTM C 1186 (Rashid, 2019).

The impact of foam agents on compressive

strength is diminishing. The average compressive

strength created by adding 0%, 20%, 40%, 60%, and

80% foam resulted in average compressive strengths

of 21.68 MPa, 7.92 MPa, 4.53 MPa, 0.75 MPa, and

0.38 MPa, respectively(Karimah, 2017).

Pratikto, ., Susilowati, A. and Wiyono, E.

Board of Lightweight Foaming Cement.

DOI: 10.5220/0010955500003260

In Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Applied Science and Technology on Engineering Science (iCAST-ES 2021), pages 857-862

ISBN: 978-989-758-615-6; ISSN: 2975-8246

 2023 by SCITEPRESS – Science and Technology Publications, Lda. Under CC license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

857

The percentages of fly ash added to the sand

weight are 0 percent, 15%, 30%, 45 percent, and 60

percent. According to the ratio of 1 foam agent: 40

water, the percentage addition of foam volume to the

volume of concrete is 20%, 30%, and 40%. The

findings of this study show that the inclusion of fly

ash and foam has a significant impact on the density

and compressive strength of lightweight concrete, as

well as a moderate effect.

The use of lightweight bricks combined with

foam technology is projected to lower the structure's

dead load. There are numerous methods for making

lightweight bricks, including employing lightweight

pebbles like quicksand and gas bubbles (air) in the

mortar mixture(Darwis et al, 2019).

Concrete with a foam agent content of 0.6 lt/m3,

using quartz sand of 4.02 MPa, split tensile strength

with a foam agent content of 0.6 lt/m3, using woro

sand of 0.34 MPa, and strong flexural concrete blocks

with a foam agent content of 0.6 lt/m3, using 0.738

MPa of Woro sand, had the highest average

compressive strength (Murtono, 2015).

The higher cement portion increased the physical

and mechanical properties of the cement bonded

board. The average flexural strength value of cement

board is 48.26 kg/cm2. This value indicates additional

the bending strength of the board by 31% and with an

average cement board density of 1.01 (Sulastiningsih,

2008).

Because the production of cement boards is not

difficult, it can be done by hand or by machine. By

pushing on a cement board that has been printed with

multiplex and clamps, the manual approach can be

used (Wiyono and Susilowati, 2011).

With the inclusion of chopped mineral water

bottle waste, the flexural strength of the cement board

does not exceed the required level of 100 kg/cm2

(Anggraini, Ramadian and Susilowati, 2019).

The findings of the coconut fiber analysis

revealed that the more coconut fiber utilized, the

lower the density and specific gravity, increased

thickness development, moisture content, and water

absorption, and increased flexural strength up to a

variation of 0.7 coconut fiber content.

Low-density particleboard is used for ceilings,

sound absorbers, and ornamental functions in public

buildings, whereas high-density cement boards are

used for doors, flooring, insulation, and exterior and

interior walls (Saputra, 2014).

Cement boards must meet certain quality

specifications. Without generating cracks or other

faults, sheets must be easily cut, sawed, drilled, and

fastened. The ability to be nailed and pulled is good

if no more than 20% of the nailing creates faults or

cracks for each sheet based on the number of tests

nailed. 100kg/cm2 is the typical minimum flexural

strength. Low, medium, and high density cement

boards with density values of 0.4gr/cm3; 0.4 to 0.84

g/cm3 and 0.84gr/cm3 are the requirements for

physical and mechanical qualities.

Cement board has both benefits and drawbacks,

including fungus, insect, and fire resistance, as well

as strong internal stability. With high dimensions, the

cost of maintaining a house made of cement boards

will be cheaper (Hendrik, 2005).

The cement board is a light weight material. In

high-rise building applications, this can cut

transportation and installation costs, as well as

construction loads, resulting in structural and

foundation cost reductions. Another disadvantage is

that cement board has a high density, which makes

cutting and installing it difficult (Husin and

Agustiningtyas, 2008).

A foam agent is a concentrated surfactant solution

that needs to be dissolved in water. Surfactants are

chemicals that cling to the surface of the interface and

activate it. Foam agent 11 (trademark NAPTHA) was

employed as an ingredient in a mix of high-quality

cement boards for brick mixtures in this investigation.

1 liter of Foam Agent is mixed with 30 liters of clean

water for use. This foaming agent's job is to keep air

bubbles from forming during the mixing process,

resulting in lightweight concrete. This foaming agent

can also be used as a liquid raw material to make

high-quality foam for lightweight brick

combinations, and it can help to speed up the drying

and hardening process.

Making foam necessitates a certain amount of air

pressure and works to move the air mass in each unit

area. The effect of air pressure on the mixing of water

and foam ingredient is significant. A foam generator

and compressor are used to create foam. Due to the

higher alkaline nature of the foam, the higher the air

pressure, the lighter the foam created, and vice versa

(PU-net, 2017).

Foam mortar is made up of cement, water, fine

aggregate, admixtures, and particular foam fluids,

and it works by trapping a lot of gas or air bubbles in

the cement mixture, resulting in a lot of air pores in

the concrete (Hidayat, 2018).

Foam liquid (foam agent) is a material formed by

trapping a large number of gas bubbles in a liquid or

solid, mainly in the form of surface-active raw

materials and vegetable protein, in the form of a

liquid mixed with water and stirred with a foam

generator until produce foam.

Glass Fiber is a brittle solid material that is clear

and translucent (translucent). Glass fiber has the

iCAST-ES 2021 - International Conference on Applied Science and Technology on Engineering Science

858

potential to survive for hundreds, if not thousands, of

years. The phrase "fiberglass" comes from glass fiber.

Glass fiber is created by stretching molten glass to a

diameter of 0.005 mm - 0.01 mm. Glass is made up

of silicon dioxide (SiO2), sodium oxide (Na2O),

calcium oxide (CaO), and other components.

The inclusion of a foam ingredient in this mortar

reduces the weight of the mortar and provides

numerous pores for water absorption. Meanwhile, the

use of this accelerator helps to speed up the

drying/hardening of the foam mortar, but it also has

an effect on the volume of the foam mortar.

From the reference above, the initial hypothesis is

that the use of admixture on foam mortar can facilitate

the work of this cement board. Another thing is the

percentage of fiber used at the optimum value, which

is 31% and the ratio of mortar and foam is 0.45 and

0.55 with foam agent ratio is 1:30.

This study aimed to determine the physical and

mechanical properties of lightly foamed cement

boards, investigate the influence of admixture on

flexural strength, and determine the effect of

admixture on flexural strength

2 RESEARCH METHOD

This research was conducted at the Civil Engineering

Materials Test Laboratory of the Jakarta State

Polytechnic. The materials used in this study were

cement, sand, foam agent, and admixture with the

trademark Naptha.

The research method used is the experimental

method by making a light foamed cement board test

object in the form of a 32 x 32 cm cement board, then

cut into pieces to test the characteristics of the cement

board. 1 Cement : 1.2 Sand : 0.47 phase, with a mortar

ratio of 0.45 : 0.55; 31% glass fiber, and foam

generator with a pressure of 4 bar for foam 1:30 and

using 6 variations of 0.0 admixture; 0.2 ; 0.4 ; 0.6 ;

0.8 ; 1.0% by weight of cement. The dependent

variable consists of density, specific gravity, water

absorption, nailing ability, and flexural strength. Each

variable has 3 test objects. With 6 variations, the

number of test objects is 90 and can be seen in Table

1. as follows.

Table 1: Number of sample in Admixture.

Type of Test

Number of Test Object

Admixture (%)

Quantity

test obejct

0,0 0,2 0,4 0,6 0,8 1,0

Density 3 3 3 3 3 3 18

Specific

Gravity

3 3 3 3 3 3 18

Water

Absorption

3 3 3 3 3 3 18

Nailing

ability

3 3 3 3 3 3 18

Flexural

Strength

3 3 3 3 3 3 18

Quantity 15 15 15 15 15 15 90

Stages of making lightweight foamed cement

board test specimens:

1. After the equipment and materials are prepared, a

trial mix is carried out to get the right mixture by

making a mixture of foam agents with water at a ratio

of 1: 30.

2. Put the mixture of water + foam agent into the

sticky foam gun that is already in contact with the

compressor

3. Mixing the mortar with the foam that has been

made and stirred using a mixer or mixer until the

mixture is homogeneous

4. The mold is coated with oil so that the cement

board mixture is easy to remove from the mold

5. Pour the mixture into the mold and followed by

installing a layer of glass fiber on top of the mortar in

3 layers. The cement board is leveled with the help of

a spatula until smooth and covered with plastic and

multiplex.

6. Pour the mixture into a 5x5x5cm cube mold.

7. After 7x24 hours the cement board is removed

from the mold and treated by placing the cement

board in a clean and dry place for 14 or 28 days before

testing.

8. After 14 and 28 days, the cement board is cut to the

specified sizes according to the test standards.

Figure 1: Resulted foam.

Board of Lightweight Foaming Cement

859

Figure 2: Fiber glass layers.

3 RESULT AND DISCUSSION

The test results of fine aggregate and cement meet the

requirements, as shown in Table 2.

Table 2: Sand and Cement properties.

Tests

Unit.

Results o

Testin

ecification

Min

max

FINE

AGGREGATE

- -

-Bulk Specific

Gravit

2.51 2.5 -

Water Absorption % 0,88 - 3

Loose Volume

Wei

ht K

/m3 1211,67

Solid Volume

Wei

ht K

/m3 1448,15

Fine Modulus 2,45 Zone 1

Sludgelevels % 0,48

CEMENT

ecific Gravit

3,07

Loose Volume

Weight Kg/m3 1150,33

Solid Volume

Wei

ht K

/m3 1225,41

From table 2 it can be seen that the specific

gravity of either cement (3.07) or sand (2.51) has a

value that is still within the normal limits.

3.1 Density

The addition of admixture variations has a strong

effect on the board density value. The value of R

square is 0.914, which means that the addition of

admixture variation has an effect of 91.4% on the

board density value. The resulting significance value

is 0.003 < 0.05, which means that the addition of

admixture variations has a significant effect on the

density value of the cement board. The regression

coefficient has a negative effect so that the higher the

addition of admixture variations, the lower the

density value of the resulting board.

This cement board is included in the high-density

category, for admixture variations 0.2 and 0.4, while

for admixture variations 0.6 to 1 is included in the

medium density category with values from 0.4 to 0.84

gr/ cm3.

The difference between this cement board and the

results of Sulastiningsih (2008) is 16.42% lower in

the high-density board category. This investigation

belongs to the medium density cement board category

Figure 3: Density.

3.2 Specific Gravity

The addition of admixture variations has a strong

effect on the specific gravity. The value of R square

is 0.960, which means that it has an effect of 96% on

the specific gravity. The resulting significance value

is 0.001 < 0.05, which means that the addition of

admixture variation has a significant effect on

specific gravity and indicates that the regression

coefficient has a negative effect.

Figure 4: Specific Gravity.

The higher the addition of admixture variations, the

lower the specific gravity produced. All mixtures had

an average density of 0.944 to 0.749. When compared

to the results of Rahmadanti and Susilowati's (2019)

research, the specific gravity is 58.1 percent lower.

Because the foaming ingredient causes pores to form

in the cement board mixture, the specific gravity of

the cement board decreases, making it lighter.

0,60

0,70

0,80

0,90

1,00

0 0,2 0,4 0,6 0,8 1

Density (gr/cm3)

Admixture %

0,5

0,6

0,7

0,8

0,9

1,0

0 0,2 0,4 0,6 0,8 1

Specific Gravity

Admixture

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3.3 Nailled Abillity

Nailing ability is the ability of cement boards to be

nailed with the condition that no more than 20% of

the surface will cause defects/cracks. The test results,

in the admixture variation of 0.0 to 1.0, the cement

board is not split, there are no surface cracks and the

nails are easily removed. The research findings of

Irvan et al (2020) are comparable in that this cement

board is simple to nail.

3.4 Flexural Strength

The standard three-point loading test is ASTM C78

being observed for flexural strength testing. The

flexural test evaluates the tensile strength of concrete

indirectly.

The addition of admixture variations has a strong

effect on the flexural strength. Based on the R square

value of 0.995, which means that the addition of

admixture variations has an effect of 99.5% on the

flexural strength. The resulting significance value is

0.007 < 0.05, which means that the addition of

admixture variations has a significant effect on the

Flexural Strength. The regression coefficient has a

fluctuating effect, that is, it rises and falls depending

on the amount of variation of the added admixture. In

the admixture variation of 0 to 0.8, the flexural

strength increased and decreased in the 1% variation.

Figure 5: Flexural Strength.

The optimum level of flexural strength occurred at the

admixture content of 0.8%, the value was

60.438kg/cm2. This value still meets the

requirements of cement board for ceilings. Because

the cement board mixture does not employ admixture,

the Flexural Strength that occurs is 20 percent higher

when compared to the results of Sulastiningsih (2008)

and the Flexural Strength that occurs is 60 percent

higher when compared to the results Lukhmanova

(2019). Meanwhile, as compared to Murtono and

Suhendro (2015)'s findings, the flexural strength is

17.6 percent lower. This is due to the fact that the

foam agent and additive utilized are not the same.

4 CONCLUSIONS

Statistical test results show that:

The variation of admixture 0 to 1% by weight of

cement has a strong and significant effect on the value

of density, specific gravity and flexural strength,

because the R square value is > 90% and the

significance value is < 0.05.

In addition, the addition of admixture to the nailing

ability test, can make the cement board not split, there

are no surface cracks and the nails are easy to remove.

The optimum admixture content is 0.8% with a

density value of 0.749 kg/cm3; Specific Gravity

0.759; Flexural strength of 60.44kg/cm2 and all

mixtures of lightweight foamed cement boards still

meet SNI standards for medium density boards and

for ceilings.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

On this occasion the author would like to express his

deepest gratitude to all those who have helped,

especially to the Head of UP2M Jakarta State

Polytechnic, who has distributed funds from the

Jakarta State Polytechnic DIPA and also students of

the Civil Engineering Department who have assisted

in the implementation process and data collection in

the laboratory.

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