USE OF EXPANDED POLYSTYRENE (EPS) AS LIGHTWEIGHT AGGREGATE TO REPLACE COARSE AGGREGATE IN CONCRETE MANUFACTURING

Abstract

Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) - popularly known in Brazil as Styrofoam - is a rigid plastic composed of just 2% raw material and 98% air, being characterized as an extremely light material, which makes economic viability for recycling difficult. In general, this material is improperly disposed of, which could be reused or recycled. Based on the above, the objective of this work was to compare the strength of concrete with partial replacement of coarse aggregate by EPS in three different percentages with that of reference concrete. To carry out this study, four mixes of concrete were made, one with conventional materials and the others with the replacement mentioned in the following percentages: 5, 10 and 15%. After the specimens were left to cure by immersion, they were tested for axial compression at ages of 7 and 28 days. The results presented in the tests showed a drop in compressive strength with the addition of EPS replacement when compared to the mixture without replacement. Another relevant factor is that the results obtained for cementitious composites were all lower than the minimum stipulated by standard to classify them as structural concrete. However, all mixes with replacement of coarse aggregate by EPS can be classified as lightweight concrete, since they reached the expected values, in terms of specific mass, for this conclusion and, despite not being able to be used for structural purposes, this It can be used in other civil construction applications.