Modeling and production of lightweight aggregates and concretes from Egyptian shales and their roles in conserving energy and environment.

The lightweight aggregates (LAWs) are produced on firing expandable shales/clays between 800 and 1300°C. When fired, the expandable clays bloat over and produce gaseous and liquidus phases. The properties of LWA/LWC vary according to their end use, but should have the following characteristics: (a) a particle density between 0.8 and 2.0 g/cm3 entailing a decrease in the load transmitted to the ground as well as less work required for the LWAs transportation; (2) a range of compressive strength between (960 – 1920 kg/m2) makes them suitable for infrastructure applications; (3) a porous and sintered ceramic core boosting their applications as thermal and acoustic insulators; (4) a high fire resistance due to the existence of pores; (5) a high toughness, i.e., minimum tendency to crack if stressed in geotechnical applications. The current research regarding LWA/LWC focuses mainly on their: i) characterization when produced from different raw materials; ii) application in different fields; iii) value-added properties when some additives are used in their manufacture; and iv) production from different wastes, i.e., recycling.