A study of characteristics of man-made lightweight aggregate and lightweight concrete made from expanded polystyrene (eps) and cement mortar

Abstract

This research investigated the feasibility of using waste-expanded polystyrene (EPS) and mortar to produce lightweight aggregate (LWA). The EPS extracted from the leftover backing waste was crushed into beads using an electric grinder and mixed in three different proportions with two types of mortars (with and without a superplasticizer). Physical property tests such as loose bulk density and water absorption were carried out for the LWA. Also, the compressive strength of the manufactured lightweight aggregate concrete (LWAC) was determined, and failure modes were discussed. The results indicate that using the EPS is effective for LWA. The loose bulk density is obtained at a range from 588 to 790kg/m3790\hspace{0.33em}{\text{kg/m}}^{3}, which meets the requirements of the American society for testing and materials C330 specification of LWA. For water absorption, the value obtained ranges from 6.45 to 14.05%, slightly higher than the normal aggregate due to the voids in the LWA. When using LWA containing a superplasticizer to produce LWAC, the compressive strength was higher than the concrete with LWA without a superplasticizer. The highest compressive strength for LWAC was 21 MPa.

Keywords

• lightweight aggregate
• lightweight concrete
• loose bulk density
• water absorption
• compressive strength
• expanded polystyrene