Experimental investigation on acoustic properties of concrete in the presence of exfoliated vermiculite, granite fines and silica fume

Concrete is a popular building material but comes with increased cost and lack of natural sand due to urbanization and heavy mining. By-products such as manufactured sand, granite fines, vermiculite, silica stone powder, fly ash, and copper slag are increasingly being considered as alternatives to it. Lightweight concrete (LWC) with reduced density and ease of handling can be upgraded by incorporating silica fume (5% replacement of cement) to enhance acoustic properties. In this research, LWC containing granite fines, exfoliated vermiculite (variable proportion), and silica fume were investigated. The findings indicated that the inclusion of up to 10% vermiculite in combination with granite fines and silica fume considerably enhanced acoustic performance as well as durability under impedance test regimes.