Current World Environment

Concrete has the greatest consumption in civil structures today. In recent years, extensive research has been conducted for the purpose of mixing high-strength concretes. Reactive powder concretes (RPCs) are the ultimate result of concrete stakeholders’ efforts in this regard. This new type of super strong concrete is called “reactive powder concrete” due to its fine powder and pozzolanic constituents as well as the many hydraulically active materials used in its combination. As using pozzolanic materials in this type of concrete can be useful for environmental protection, reducing costs, and improving certain concrete properties, authors conducted an empirical feasibility study into the possibility of using a mineral lightweight aggregate called Qorveh, a natural pozzolan created by volcanic lava, as the active pozzolan in powder concrete. To this end, through a planned experimental procedure, concrete specimens containing Qorveh lightweight aggregate were prepared in different proportions to substitute cement in concrete. Analysis of the obtained results showed that using this mineral aggregate under normal curing conditions (adding water at 20 C), was highly practical and efficient.