Influence of Incorporation and Dimension of Expanded Polystyrene on Lightweight Concrete

For the production of this lightweight concrete, expanded polystyrene (EPS) associated with expanded clay sintered lightweight aggregates were used to replace nature aggregates. Materials characterization tests were performed, as well as tests of the concrete in the fresh and hardened state. It is worth noting that the fresh tests displayed that the EPS concretes produced met the requirements of ABNT NBR 15823-1: 2017, classifying them as self-compacting. The hardened concrete tests observed the compressive strength, tensile strength, water absorption, void index, and specific mass. All concretes achieved resistances above 20 MPa, considered structural, and presented low specific mass, below 2000 kg/m(3), classifying them as light concrete. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images allowed a better understanding of the microstructure, justing the mechanical results obtained. The transition zone between the cement paste and the light aggregates, the number of voids in the cement paste, and the appearance of microcracks were considered.