Table of Contents
What is polystyrene aggregate?
Polystyrene concrete is made from a mixture of cement, sand and polystyrene aggregate (EPS or UEPS aggregates). Polystyrene is a thermoplastic polymeric material initially in the solid form (UEPS) and it can be expanded by the use of steam and expansive agents [6].
Why do they put polystyrene in concrete?
They reduce the effects of soil movement, decrease the amount of concrete required, and have thermal insular properties making them a cost effective component for any home, building or complex. In traditional slabs, the bottom of the slab uses footings based on concrete beams which require extensive digging.
What is polystyrene used for in construction?
Major applications of EPS include, insulated panel systems for use in floors, walls and roofs of domestic as well as commercial buildings. EPS is also well proven in civil engineering applications where its inherent strength means it can support structures such as roadways and railways with complete ease.
How strong is EPS concrete?
Working with EPS block outs As a closed-cell, lightweight and resilient foam, EPS is readily available to cater to numerous designs and applications. With compressive strengths up to 50 psi, EPS has the ability to withstand the demands and weight of wet concrete while remaining easy to work with.
Can you concrete over polystyrene?
Polystyrene is fine but it HAS to be flooring grade, suitable for under screed. You can’t just use any old polystyrene!
How do you make concrete stronger and lighter?
Mixing Lightweight Concrete Using less sand can make the product lighter, but it can also make the concrete weaker structurally. A simple recipe for basic lightweight concrete is to combine 8 parts sand, 8 parts cement and 8 parts perlite to 5 parts water.
Is polystyrene water resistant?
Extruded polystyrene insulation (XPS) is manufactured using a process of extrusion. The closed cell structure of extruded polystyrene (XPS) prevents water penetration to the structure of the insulation board and provides long term strength and durability.
What are the advantages of polystyrene?
Advantages of Polystyrene include:
- Cheap, rigid, transparent, easy to mould and good dimensional stability.
- Good electrical properties, low dielectric loss.
- Excellent resistance to gamma radiation.
How is polystyrene cement manufactured?
Polystyrene concrete is generally made from a mix of cement silica aggregate, recycled polystyrene granules, and modifying agents such as setting accelerators. Our regrind and virgin beads are ideally suited to make lightweight concrete blocks.
How do you make polystyrene concrete?
Use a ratio of one to six for the mix of cement to polystyrene. Use equal parts Portland cement, sand and water. For example if you have 1 cup of Portland cement, mix it with 6 cups of polystyrene beads plus 1 cup water and 1 cup sand. This recipe is obviously very small but gives the correct ratio.