Sustainable Lightweight Aggregate Concrete Using Agricultural By-products
Summary
Sustainable lightweight aggregate concrete harnesses the abundant waste streams from agricultural industries—such as palm oil shells, peach kernels, oil palm boiler clinker and other bio-aggregates—to replace conventional mineral aggregates. This approach reduces structural dead loads, enhances thermal insulation and diverts biomass from landfills, thereby lowering embodied carbon and promoting circular-economy principles. Despite the appeal of bio-aggregates, their high porosity and organic content can compromise mechanical strength, dimensional stability and durability. Recent advances focus on pretreatment and surface-modification techniques to mitigate moisture uptake and biodegradation, as well as optimised mix designs that balance strength, density and thermal performance. Applications span non-structural panels, energy-efficient wall systems and reinforced concrete members, demonstrating global relevance for low-carbon construction in both temperate and tropical climates.
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Sustainable Lightweight Aggregate Concrete Using Agricultural By-products publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in sustainable lightweight aggregate concrete using agricultural by-products across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Lightweight aggregate concrete: Concrete in which conventional aggregates are wholly or partly replaced with low-density materials to reduce weight and improve thermal insulation.
Bio-aggregate: Plant-derived materials (for example, palm shell or peach kernel shell) used in concrete as sustainable substitutes for mineral aggregates.
Hydrophobic treatment: A process to impart water-repellent properties to bio-aggregates or concrete surfaces to mitigate moisture absorption and enhance durability.
Time lag: The delay between peak external temperature and peak internal temperature in a building component, indicative of thermal inertia.
Decrement factor: The ratio of internal to external thermal amplitude, measuring the attenuation of temperature fluctuations through a material.
References
- Unleashing the potential of bio-based concrete: Investigating its long-term mechanical strength and drying shrinkage in real climatic environments. Cement and Concrete Composites (2023).
- Evaluating the time lag and decrement factor of mortar and concrete containing OPBC as an agricultural by-product lightweight aggregate. Case Studies in Thermal Engineering (2023).
- Mechanical Properties and Flexural Response of Palm Shell Aggregate Lightweight Reinforced Concrete Beam. Sustainability (2023).
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