Abstract
This study explores the formulation of lightweight concrete (LWC) by incorporating expanded polystyrene (EPS) pearls as a partial replacement for coarse aggregate without supplementary bonding agents. The investigation focuses on assessing the resilience of the concrete in a sodium chloride environment, achieved by subjecting the material to immersion in two distinct salty water concentrations. Key parameters under scrutiny include EPS content, concrete strength, and salt concentration. Eight concrete groups were established, varying the replacement of natural coarse aggregate with EPS at volumes ranging from 0 to 70%. Each EPS ratio underwent comprehensive testing for concrete strength at different ages, coupled with exposure to salt concentrations of 3.5% and 7% by weight. The outcomes demonstrated a disproportionate reduction in compressive strength compared to density as EPS content increased. Specifically, a 42% decline in concrete density corresponded with an 81% decrease in strength across the range of 0–70% EPS content. Furthermore, heightened salt concentrations correlated with diminished concrete strength, accentuating the detrimental impact of saltwater exposure. Concrete samples, initially cured in freshwater and subsequently exposed to saltwater, exhibited an average strength loss of about 12% at a salt concentration of 3.5%, and approximately 17% at a salt concentration of 7%, compared to samples preserved in freshwater for 7, 28, and 90 days. This study aims to explore and assess the viability of formulating lightweight concrete (LWC) by incorporating expanded polystyrene (EPS) pearls as a partial replacement for coarse aggregate without supplementary bonding agents. The primary focus is understanding the resulting concrete's resilience in a sodium chloride environment. The study aims to systematically investigate the impact of varying levels of EPS content on concrete strength, density, and overall performance. By subjecting the material to different saltwater concentrations, the research seeks to unravel the complex interplay between EPS content, concrete properties, and the influence of saltwater exposure. The overarching goal is to provide valuable insights into the potential applications and limitations of lightweight concrete incorporating EPS, particularly in scenarios involving saline environments. In conclusion, the findings underscore the complex relationship between EPS content, concrete properties, and the influence of saltwater exposure. The study provides valuable insights into the potential applications and limitations of lightweight concrete incorporating EPS in scenarios involving saline environments. Further research avenues may explore practical implications and optimizations for specific applications in construction and related industries.
Similar content being viewed by others
Data availability
The data used in this study are available on request from the author.
Abbreviations
- ASTM:
-
American Society for Testing and Materials
- C:
-
Cement
- DPA:
-
Date palm ash
- EPS:
-
Expanded polystyrene
- FCW:
-
Fine ceramic waste
- G:
-
Gravel
- GFC:
-
Geopolymer foam concrete
- IQS:
-
Iraqi standard
- ITZ:
-
Interfacial transition zone
- LWC:
-
Lightweight concrete
- NWC:
-
Normal-weight concrete
- PC:
-
Polymer-cement
- S:
-
Sand
- SEM:
-
Scanning electron microscopy
- UHPGC:
-
Ultra-high-performance geopolymer concrete
- W/C:
-
Water cement ratio
References
Choi SJ, Yang KH, Sim JI, Choi BJ (2014) Direct tensile strength of lightweight concrete with different specimen depths and aggregate sizes. Constr Build Mater 63:132–141. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2014.04.055
Kuhail Z (2001) Polystyrene Lightweight Concrete (Polyconcrete). An Najah Univ J Res
Daneti SB, Babu KG, Tiong-Huan W (2004) Effect of polystyrene aggregate size on strength and moisture migration characteristics of lightweight concrete. Cem Concr Compos 28:520–527
Neville AM, Brooks JJ (2010) Concrete technology, 2nd edn. Pearson Education Ltd., London
Emmanuel A, Oladipo F, Ogunsanmi E (2012) Investigation of salinity effect on compressive strength of reinforced concrete. J Sustain Dev 5(6):200. https://doi.org/10.5539/jsd.v5n6p74
Momtazi AS, Langrudi MA, Khodaparast A (2010) Durability of lightweight concrete containing EPS in salty exposure conditions. In: International conference on sustainable construction materials and technologies, 2, Ancona. Università Politecnica delle Marche, pp 1–10
Wegian FM (2010) effect of seawater for mixing and curing on structural concrete. IES J Part A Civ Struct Eng 3:235–243. https://doi.org/10.1080/19373260.2010.521048
Mbadike EM, Elinwa AU (2011) effect of salt water in the production of concrete. Niger J Technol 30(2):105–110
Nagabhushana DH, Nitin A, Deepak S, Mukesh K (2017) effect of salt water on compressive strength of concrete. Int Res J Eng Technol (IRJET) 4(5):2687–2690
Guo Q, Chen L, Zhao H, Admilson J, Zhang W (2018) The effect of mixing and curing sea water on concrete strength at different ages. In: MATEC web conference, vol. 142, p 02004. https://doi.org/10.1051/matecconf/201714202004
Qasim OA, Maula BH, Moula HH, Jassam SH (2020) Effect of salinity on concrete properties. In: IOP conference series: materials science and engineering. https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899X/745/1/012171
Cao Y, Guo L, Chen Bo, Jiandong Wu (2021) effect of pre-introduced sodium chloride on cement hydration process. Adv Cem Res 33(12):526–539. https://doi.org/10.1680/jadcr.19.00159
Althoey F, Farnam Y, Alyami SH, Fenais A (2022) Deterioration in concrete exposed to sodium chloride and heat-cool cycling. In: MATEC Web of Conferences, vol. 361
Akinkurolere OO, Cangru J, Shobola OM (2007) The influence of salt water on the compressive strength of concrete. J Eng Appl Sci 2(2):412–415
Muluye B (2018) Effect of salt water on compressive strength of plain mass concrete. Master Thesis, Addis Ababa University
Iraqi Specification Standard No. 5/2019. Portland cement. Central Organization for Standardization and Quality Control, Baghdad
Abhijit M, Tarun SS, Shekar K, Sangram N, Amruta K (2015) lightweight concrete using EPS. Int J Sci Res (IJSR) 4(3):2007–2010
Ahmad MH, Omar RC, Malek MA, Noor NM, Thiruselvam S (2008) Mix design of styrofoam concrete. In: ICCBT 2008-A-(26), UniversitiTun Hussein Onn Malaysia, pp 285–296
Ahmed FR (2023) Punching shear capacity of expanded polystyrene (EPS) lightweight concrete flat slabs without shear reinforcement. Adv Mech Eng. https://doi.org/10.1177/16878132231199885
Herki B (2017) absorption characteristics of lightweight concrete containing densified polystyrene. Civ Eng Js. https://doi.org/10.28991/cej-2017-00000115
Shamil KA, Al-Hadithi AI, Mohammed SJ (2018) Producing of eco-friendly lightweight concrete using waste polystyrene particles as aggregates with adding waste plastic. Iraqi J Civ Eng 12(1):45–56. https://doi.org/10.37650/ijce.2018.142407
Husem M (2003) The effects of bond strengths between lightweight and ordinary aggregate-mortar, aggregate-cement paste on the mechanical properties of concrete. Mater Sci Eng A 363(1–2):152–158. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0921-5093(03)00595-1
British Standards Institution BS8110 (1997) Code of practice for design and construction part 1. British Standard Institution, London
Ahmed FR, Muhammad AM, Ibrahim RK (2022) effect of alum sludge on concrete strength and two way shear capacity of flat slabs. Struct J 40:991–1001. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.istruc.2022.04.086
Ahmed FR, Hamad KK, Rasheed ZN (2017) Prediction of punching strength of reinforced concrete footings by finite element method. Am J Civ Eng Archit 5(1):8–16. https://doi.org/10.12691/ajcea-5-1-2
Barkhordari MS, Armaghani DJ, Mohammed AS, Ulrikh DV (2022) Data-driven compressive strength prediction of fly ash concrete using ensemble learner algorithms. Buildings 12(2):132
Ahmed FR, Al-Numan BS (2014) failure characteristics and critical punching perimeter of high strength concrete panels. Int J Eng Trends Technol (IJETT) 13(8):367–372. https://doi.org/10.14445/22315381/IJETT-V13P274
Al-Numan BS, Ahmed FR, Hamad KK (2018) effect of styrene butadiene rubber latex on mechanical properties of eco concrete: limestone powder concrete. ARO Sci J Koya Univ 6(1):1–6. https://doi.org/10.14500/aro.10212
Burhan L, Ghafor K, Mohammed A (2019) Modeling the effect of silica fume on the compressive, tensile strengths and durability of NSC and HSC in various strength ranges. J Build Pathol Rehabil 4:1–19
Thaulow N, Sahu S (2004) mechanism of concrete deterioration due to salt crystallization. Mater Charact 53(2–4):123–127. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matchar.2004.08.013
Abdellatief M, Elrahman MA, Alanazi H, Abadel AA, Tahwia A (2023) A state-of-the-art review on geopolymer foam concrete with solid waste materials: components, characteristics, and microstructure. Innov Infrastruct Solut 8(9):230
Abdellatief M, Mortagi M, AbdElrahman M, Tahwia AM, Alluqmani AE, Alanazi H (2023) Characterization and optimization of fresh and hardened properties of ultra-high performance geopolymer concrete. Case Stud Constr Mater 19:e02549
AbdEllatief M, Abadel AA, Federowicz K, AbdElrahman M (2023) Mechanical properties, high temperature resistance and microstructure of eco-friendly ultra-high performance geopolymer concrete: role of ceramic waste addition. Constr Build Mater 401:132677
Abdellatief M, AbdElrahman M, Abadel AA, Wasim M, Tahwia A (2023) Ultra-high performance concrete versus ultra-high performance geopolymer concrete: mechanical performance, microstructure, and ecological assessment. J Build Eng 79:107835
Adamu M, Alanazi H, Ibrahim YE, Abdellatief M (2024) Mechanical, microstructural characteristics and sustainability analysis of concrete incorporating date palm ash and eggshell powder as ternary blends cementitious materials. Constr Build Mater 411:134753
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The author declares that he has no conflicts of interest.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Ahmed, F.R., Mohammed, A.S. Chlorine salt influence on durability and strength of additive-free EPS lightweight concrete. Innov. Infrastruct. Solut. 9, 105 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41062-024-01412-w
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41062-024-01412-w