Foam Concrete Uses

Foam concrete is used in construction and civil engineering projects for a variety of applications. It is an environmentally friendly material that consists of up to 80 percent air, which makes it great for thermal insulation, sound absorption and fire resistance.

Foamed lightweight concrete is produced using a mixture of cement, sand or fly ash, water and a foam making agent. There are several types of natural and synthetic foaming agents that can be used to produce foam concrete. Examples of natural foaming agents include tannic extracts from leather, sub soaped lye and sulfite lye.

The most common application of foam concrete is as a lightweight void filler for structural purposes. It is particularly useful for reducing the weight of brick work or dense concrete and therefore allowing for more space on site, especially where holes must be cut into the structure for wiring and pipework.

Infill to the spandrel walls of arch bridges, bulk filling for redundant sewerage pipes and wells, in-situ insulation over flat roofs, cold storage tanks, disused cellars and basements, tunnels and subways are just a few of the applications for foam concrete.

In addition to its high thermal insulation properties, foam concrete is also a good fire rated material due to the presence of air bubbles. It also has excellent sound insulation and is resistant to freezing and thawing.