The Study of Creep and Deformation Properties of Sulfur-Containing Arbolit Exposed to Various Compression Stresses
The present paper considers the study of creep and deformation properties of sulfur-containing arbolit exposed to various compression stresses. Investigating the creep of lightweight arbolit concretes greatly affecting the performance of bearing and envelope structures draws a special attention during the last years. This issue is of particular relevance in the regions with hot and sharp continental climate. Arbolit concrete is one of the lightest building materials with low thermal conductivity and good soundproof properties. The modern postulates of theory and practice of creation, development of high-strength arbolit concretes on the base of composite sulfur-containing binders have become the methodological framework of the present research. While carrying out scientific research, the following standard measuring and analysis methods of physical and mechanical properties have been used for sulfur-containing arbolit composites. Experimental tests have been implemented on the 28-days samples made of sulfur-containing arbolit, with the cotton plant footstalks as an organic component. The researched samples were vapor sealed with the purpose to eliminate overlapping the processes of contraction and creep. The experimental results have shown that the analysis of prisms deformation in time demonstrates certain derivation from the pattern. Deformation of prisms made of sulfur-containing arbolit loaded at the low stress level were growing at a slower rate that the same deformations at a higher stress level. No derivation has been observed for the prisms of sulfur-containing haydite concrete. For both types of concrete, creep deformation has reached the values exceeding completely recoverable deformation by a factor of 2 or all the samples, the rapid growth of creep deformation has been observed after loading, followed by the gradual slowdown of deformation growth. For sulfur-containing lightweight concretes, as the test shown, the rate of creep deformation growth depends on the hardening curve in time reflecting the process of concrete hardening. This, if compared with sulfur-containing lightweight concretes, creep of sulfur-containing arbolit concrete is significantly lower that eventually leads to the loss of creep deformation at the same stress level. The obtained results can be used when manufacturing an efficient wall material for residential construction, including seismic areas.