Is Lightweight Concrete Expensive?

Making lightweight concrete is fairly inexpensive. The materials used to make lightweight concrete mixes are pretty affordable and easy to find. Portland cement is available at nearly every hardware store and doesn't cost a lot, about $15-20 for an 88 lb bag. You can make a lot of lightweight concrete with one inexpensive bag of portland cement and some lightweight aggregate of your choosing.

Common lightweight concrete aggregates such as perlite, vermiculite or peat moss are found at garden centers and some hardware stores. Small bags of perlite (0.31 cubic feet) cost about $7-10 per bag for example. Large bags of perlite (4 cubic feet) cost roughly $50, which is actually quite a good deal! So, if you have a large project or are planning on a lot of smaller projects, buying the lightweight aggregates in bulk will help reduce your costs.

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[happyb]

Steve, some find that concrete can be stronger with an amount of lightweight sand, in that the moisture held is released later as the cement demands it: "internal curing". More necessary for impermeable high strength mixes, or where proper curing is not practical - such as 3D printing. Also other water-retaining solids, such as cellulose derivatives, are used.

[williammessenger]

How about Paper/Cardboard pulp? A.K.A. Papercrete

[martinthibeaux]

Is it logical that a lightweight LaFarge Ductal base could exist?