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Subject Area

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Article Type

Original Study

Abstract

Conventional foam concrete suffers from low strength and heterogeneous pore structure due to its porous structure and incomplete hydration, limiting its structural applications. This study investigates the use of magnetized water (MW) as a mixing medium to enhance hydration efficiency and improve both fresh and hardened properties of foam concrete. Three density grades 620, 1300, and 1900 kg/m³, designated as Groups A, B, and C were prepared and tested. Compressive strength measurements indicated that MW enhanced performance across all densities. In Group A, 28-day strength increased slightly from 2.4 MPa with tap water (TW) to 2.8 MPa with MW. For Group B, MW improved strength by approximately 17%, reaching 7.3 MPa at 28 days. Group C exhibited the most significant improvement, with strength rising from 16.1 to 19.1 MPa at 28 days. Microstructural analyses further confirmed these findings: Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) revealed denser matrices with fewer voids, while Energy-Dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis showed a reduced calciumto- silica (Ca/Si) ratio, indicating enhanced hydration and structural compactness. The results demonstrate that MW can substantially improve foam concrete performance, making it a promising, and sustainable method to strengthen lightweight concrete for structural applications. This study highlights the potential of MW to address key limitations in conventional foam concrete, providing insights into both material optimization and practical engineering applications.Keywords: Foam Concrete; Magnetized Water; Mechanical Properties; Microstructure; Durability

Keywords

Magnetized water; tap water; compressive strength; foam concrete

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

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