Development of Lightweight Concrete Interlocking Block Panel with Water Treatment Sludge and Expanded Metal Ferrocement

An innovative lightweight concrete interlocking block panel was developed to improve the lateral resistance of the infilled frame with green construction material. The water treatment sludge obtained from Bang Khen water treatment plants was employed to replace the fine aggregate. The lightweight concrete interlocking block panel was strengthened with ferrocement technique and expanded metal sheet. Three sets of the strengthened block panels with various sizes of expanded mental were investigated: concrete block panel, interlocking block panel with thin bed adhesive mortar, interlocking block panel with thick bed cement mortar. The concrete with mixed proportion of cement, sand, water, foaming agent, and sludge of 1:0.70:0.60:0.006:0.30 by weight was suitable for producing the lightweight concrete block according to the Thai Industrial Standard. The compressive strength test of masonry prisms and the diagonal tension (shear) test were conducted for the three sets of the strengthened block panels. The test results reveal that the interlocking block was superior to the conventional concrete block in terms of strength and ductility capacity due to the effect of interlocking between the block. The shear key with thick bed cement mortar is more effective than the thin bed adhesive mortar typically used in the construction of lightweight concrete.