Development of Thin Non-loadbearing Precast Panels using Reinforced Foamed Concrete incorporating Recycled Glass Powder

Foamed concrete is a type of lightweight aerated concrete that is characterised by its homogeneous void or cellular structure and its lower density than normal-weight aggregate concrete. Foamed concrete is produced by blending preformed foam with a cementitious slurry. The mixture then hardens with a cellular structure. The use of foamed concrete in the construction of large precast elements is not common, which is reflected by the lack of design and construction guidelines in Australian, European, American, and other international building codes. In a step to address this, research is carried out into the application of foamed concrete to the construction of the common precast concrete element, non-loadbearing precast panels. This study aims to develop, structurally design, and construct thin precast foamed concrete panels and investigate the characteristics, behaviour, and performance of the developed panels. The practical limits of using foamed concrete for the construction of thin non-loadbearing precast panels were investigated and the performance of the precast panel prototypes developed in this study was examined with respect to performance requirements generally expected of non-loadbearing precast concrete panels. Two case studies were used as part of this research. In each case, a precast foamed concrete panel prototype was manufactured and installed on a life-size building.