Mechanical Properties of Lightweight Concrete Using Crushed Waste Expanded Polysyrene Melts Ingot
Seiji FUKUSHIMA and Tetsuro KASAI
Abstract:Waste expanded polystyrene (waste EPS) can be recycled as an aggregate for concrete when it is melted and crushedDDespite the low bulk density of 1 g/cm3, water absorption of the waste EPS aggregate is as low as 5 percentage and advantageous over the conventional lightweight aggregates.Mechanical properties of concrete specimens with a coarse aggregate of the crushed waste EPS melt were studied. It was found that the unit mass of concrete using the waste EPS coarse aggregate was approx. 1.7 to 1.8t/m3Cand that compressive strength of the concrete was approx. 15 to 33N/mm2. Brittleness index of the waste EPS aggregate concrete was smaller than that of normal aggregate concrete and conventional lightweight aggregate concreteDUse of crushed waste EPS as a lightweight coarse aggregate for concrete is a promising approach for the weight reduction of normal concretes. Key Words:Waste EPS melts ingot, Crushed waste EPS, Lightweight aggregate, Lightweight concrete, Compressive strength