Lateral earth pressure of granular backfills on retaining walls with expanded polystyrene geofoam inclusions under limited surcharge loading

Existing studies have focused on the behavior of the retaining wall equipped with expanded polystyrene(EPS)geofoam inclusions under semi-infinite surcharge loading rather than limited surcharge loading.In this paper,the failure mode and the earth pressure acting on the rigid retaining wall with EPS geofoam inclusions and granular backfills(henceforth referred to as EPS-wall),under limited surcharge loading are investigated through two-and three-dimensional model tests.The testing results show that different from the sliding of almost all the backfill in the EPS-wall under semi-infinite surcharge loading,only an approximately triangular backfill slides in the wall under limited surcharge loading.The distribution of the lateral earth pressure on the EPS-wall under limited surcharge loading is non-linear,and the distribution changes from the increase of the wall depth to the decrease with the increase of the limited surcharge loading.An approach based on the force equilibrium of a differential element is developed to predict the lateral earth pressure behind the EPS-wall subjected to limited surcharge loading,and its performance was fully validated by the three-dimensional model tests.

Study of Rice Husks and Expanded Polystyrene Composites for Construction Applications

In the current context of environmental challenges, this study focuses on developing innovative and eco-friendly composites using rice husk and recycled expanded polystyrene. This dual-responsibility approach valorizes a by-product like rice husk, often considered waste, and reuses polystyrene, a plastic waste, thereby contributing to CO2 emission reduction and effective waste management. The manufacturing process involves dissolving recycled polystyrene into a solvent to create a binder, which is then mixed with rice husk and cold-compacted into composite materials. The study examines the impact of two particle sizes (fine and coarse) and different proportions of recycled polystyrene binder. The results show significant variations in the mechanical characteristics of the composites, with Modulus of Rupture (MOR) values varying from 2.41 to 3.47 MPa, Modulus of Elasticity (MOE) ranging from 223.41 to 1497.2 MPa, and Stiffness Coefficient (K) from 5.04 to 33.96 N/mm. These characteristics demonstrate that these composites are appropriate for various construction applications, including interior decoration, panel claddings, and potentially for furniture and door manufacturing when combined with appropriate coatings. This study not only highlights the recycling of agricultural and plastic waste but also provides a localized approach to addressing global climate change challenges through the adoption of sustainable building materials.

EPS填充的三聚氰胺甲醛树脂基固体浮力材料的制备

以三聚氰胺与甲醛为原料,制备了三聚氰胺甲醛树脂,采用间歇法工艺将发泡聚苯乙烯(EPS)微球填充到三聚氰胺甲醛树脂基体中制备了三聚氰胺甲醛树脂基固体浮力材料,对浮力材料的断面微观结构、力学性能、吸水率和压缩强度进行了测试与分析,并对影响浮力材料密度的EPS微球粒径和影响浮力材料储能模量的EPS微球含量进行了研究。结果表明:随着静水压力的增加,固体浮力材料的吸水率增大,当静水压力超过80 MPa时,固体浮力材料结构受到明显破坏,吸水率急剧上升;该固体浮力材料的水下性能良好,力学性能和动态力学性能也符合基础应用要求。

Performance Evaluation of Novel Eco-Materials Composed of Millet Husks, Rice Husks, and Polystyrene

Managing agricultural waste and expanded polystyrene (EPS) poses significant environmental and economic challenges. This study aims to create composites from millet husks, rice husks, and recycled EPS, using a manufacturing method that involves dissolving the polystyrene in a solvent followed by cold pressing. Various particle sizes and two binder dosages were investigated to assess their influence on the physico-mechanical properties of the composites. The mechanical properties obtained range from 2.54 to 4.47 MPa for the Modulus of Rupture (MOR) and from 686 to 1400 MPa for the Modulus of Elasticity in Bending (MOE). The results indicate that these composites have potential for applications in the construction sector, particularly for wood structures and interior decoration. Moreover, surface treatments could enhance their durability and mechanical properties. This research contributes to the valorization of agricultural and plastic waste as eco-friendly and economical construction materials.

Influence of expanded polystyrene size on deformation characteristics of light weight soil

Deformation characteristics of light weight soil with different EPS (expanded polystyrene) sizes were investigated by consolidation tests.The results show that the confined stress-strain relation curve is in S shape,which has a good homologous relation with e-p curve and e-lgp curve,and three types of curves reflect obvious structural characteristics of light weight soil.When cement mixed ratio and EPS volume ratio are the same for different specimens,structural strength decreases with the increase of EPS size,but compressibility indexes basically keep unchanged within the structural strength.The settlement of light weight soil can be divided into instantaneous settlement and primary consolidation settlement.It has no obvious rheology property,and 90% of total consolidation deformation can be finished in 1 min.Settlement-time relation of light weight soil can be predicted by the hyperbolic model.S-lgt curve of light weight soil is not in anti-S shape.It is proved that there is no secondary consolidation section,so consolidation coefficient cannot be obtained by time logarithm method.Structural strength and unit price decrease with the increase of EPS size,but the reducing rate of the structural strength is lower than that of the unit price,so the cost of mixed soil can be reduced by increasing the EPS size.The EPS beads with 3-5 mm in diameter are suggested to be used in the construction process,and the prescription of mixed soil can be optimized.

Weatherability Studies on External Insulation Thermal System of Expanded Polystyrene Board,Polystyrene Granule and Polyurethane Foam

Atmospheric exposure tests including two experimental stages of high temperature-spraying water cycle and heating-refrigeration cycle were carried out on three currently used ETIS of expanded polystyrene（EPS） board,polystyrene granule mortar and polyurethane foam in order to study the weatherablility of external thermal insulation system（ETIS）.The change rules of adhesive strength were hereby studied at different time period of atmospheric exposure tests.The experimental results show that the adhesive strength of three kinds of ETIS changes a little during high temperature-spraying water cycle,but the adhesive strength of ETIS with EPS board decreases significantly after heating-refrigeration cycle.The lowering rate of adhesive strength with painting finishes is obviously faster than that of tile finishes for ETIS of EPS board during heating-refrigeration cycle.The weatherability of ETIS with EPS board is worse than the other two,and ETIS of polystyrene granule mortar and polyurethane foam are more suitable than ETIS of EPS board in cold area.

Effects of Vibration Technology and Polyvinyl Acetate Emulsion on Microstructure and Properties of Expanded Polystyrene Lightweight Concrete

To prevent expanded polystyrene （EPS） beads from rising up to the surface in the molding process of EPS lightweight concrete, vibration with pressure was applied and the polyvinyl acetate （PVA） emulsion was adopted to improve its mechanical properties. The mechanical properties, thermal properties and durability of EPS lightweight concrete were tested. The microstruetures of EPS lightweight concrete were observed by scanning electron microscope （SEM）. Vibration with pressure reduces the number of small cracks. The 180 d compressive strength and flexural strength increase obviously as a large amount of PVA was added. The mixed amount of PVA has no obvious influence on the thermal performance when it is not more than 10% of the cement. Vibration with pressure and surface modification of EPS beads by PVA improve the combination of EPS beads with cement stone and the mechanical properties of EPS lightweight concrete.

Impact Resistance of a Novel Expanded Polystyrene Cement-based Material

The mechanical property of a novel expanded polystyrene cement-based material （EPS-C）, which was prepared by compressing semi-dry materials molding, was investigated. The compressive behavior was analyzed by compression tests to gain the energy absorbed during failure. Performance for impact resistance was tested by a self-made device. The results figures out that the EPS-C has good toughness and can reach swain of 0.7 without failure. The stress-strain curve is quite different from that of normal EPS concrete. It can be divided into three stages and in the third stage the compressing exhibits the highest energy absorption. With the rising of cement ratio, the impact force absorption （IEA） decreases first and then increases. The impact energy absorption （IEA） increases first and then decreases. The lowest IEA and the highest lEA appear at the cement dosage from 233 g/L to 267 g/L and from 233 g/L to 300 g/L, respectively.

Shear behavior of sand-expanded polystyrene beads lightweight fills

Through direct shear and triaxial compression tests, effects of expanded polystyrene (EPS) mass ratios in sand-EPS mixtures and stress status on materials' shear behavior were investigated. Hyperbolic curves were used to fit relationship between shear stress and shear displacement. The shear behavior is marginally associated with the EPS ratios and normal/confining stresses. Increases of EPS ratios and decreases of normal/confining stresses result in shear strength decreases. The shapes of Mohr-Coulomb's envelope include linear and piecewise linear types, which are basically determined by the EPS ratio. Such difference is thought related to the embedding or apparent cohesion effect under relatively high EPS ratio conditions. Shear strength parameters can be used for further modeling and design purposes.

Identifying Factors Hindering the Adoption of Expanded Polystyrene for Building Construction in Akure, Nigeria

Housing provision has become a global issue as the need for affordable housing kept increasing in various communities especially in Akure, Nigeria. This has emerged due to various economic, socio-cultural and environmental factors which has increased pressure on conventional building materials thereby leading to the invention of alternative building materials. This paper looks at the barriers to the adoption of expanded polystyrene (EPS) for building construction in Akure, Nigeria. The methodology adopted elicited information through structured questionnaire which assessed the socio-economic characteristics of the respondents, their level of awareness of EPS and its application in building construction, the rate at which they specify EPS for designs and construction and the hindrances to its adoption for building construction. A total of 60 questionnaires were administered on the architects in practice and in the academia environment but 45 were retrieved. This was the bases to which the conclusion of this research was made. The outcome of the research shows that lack of awareness is a key hindrance to the adoption of EPS for construction as most architects in Akure do not know much about expanded polystyrene, thereby, cannot fully decipher its qualities and/or suitability for construction. As such, most questions pertaining the durability, cost implication or client’s preference could not be answered by the architects since their knowledge on the subject matter is minimal. However, those who knows about EPS confirms its flexibility, quick construction time and its environmental friendliness but stated that EPS is not readily available like other conventional materials. As such, their specification always goes towards the available materials.

An Evaluation of the Water Absorption and Density Properties of Expanded Polystyrene Sanded Concrete

In this paper, the evaluation of the mechanical and hygro-thermal properties of expanded polystyrene-sanded lightweight concrete (EPSLC) was examined. Evaluated are the mechanical properties in terms of density;and the hygro-thermal property using water absorption (capillary absorption and total immersion) as measures. The research used 30% volume of EPS to replace natural coarse aggregate to produce a lightweight concrete, which is expected to be economical, serviceable and meet the required standards for lightweight concretes. The concrete bulk and oven dry densities were obtained as 1789 KN/m3 and 1674 kg/m3 respectively, while the total water and capillary water absorption increases with time of suction. The high rate of water absorption at the early periods of the test has corresponding capillary coefficient of steep slope within the same period. The relationship between the variables Q the water absorption per unit area of the specimen and K the capillary coefficient, is that as the water absorption gets higher, so does the capillary coefficient and the percentage of the variation is expressed by the correlation coefficient R2. Therefore, the values of R2 as depicted in the graphs shows a high percentage of variation. The moisture capacity is 6.9%. All the laboratory tests were, conducted in accordance with standard codes of practice. The significance of the research is that innovative technology is employed to modify and improve processes in construction industry, thus, enhancing sustainable environmental, management of industrial waste, and cheaper and economic construction. With the 30% replacement of coarse aggregate, the density and water absorption properties of concrete produced are within acceptable limits. Therefore, EPS can be used to produce lightweight concrete that will perform the required function at this level of replacement.

Dissolution of Expanded Polystyrene in Cycloalkane Solutions

Feasibility of dissolution and utilization of expanded polystyrene in cycloalkane solutions was investigated in this work. The dissolution process of expanded polystyrene in several cycloalkane solutions decalin, cyclohexane and methyl cyclohexane was studied. The effect of dissolution temperature, mechanical agitation, ultrasonic wave and stirring rate was studied under optimized conditions. Mass transfer coefficients were fitted. The results showed that the dissolution rate of expanded polystyrene in different cycloalkane solutions was ranked as decalin > methyl cyclohexane > cyclohexane;higher dissolution temperature and faster stirring rate could speed up the dissolution of expanded polystyrene;the effect of mechanical agitation was superior to ultrasonic condition;the solubility of top face was better than side face and under face.

Novel EPS/TiO2 Nanocomposite Prepared from Recycled Polystyrene

The synthesis and characterization of a new nanocomposite material that was prepared from recycled expanded polystyrene (EPS) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) is reported here. The EPS was obtained from chemical reagent box insulation. To obtain the nanocomposite, these materials were dispersed in a solvent, mixed with TiCl4 and heated. The resulting new material was characterized with SEM, TEM, TGA, BET, Raman and IR techniques. The Raman and IR spectra provided complementary information regarding the structure of the nanocomposite. The Raman spectra were used to identify the crystalline structure of TiO2 in the nanocomposite. In contrast, the IR spectra were used to identify the organic portion of the nanocomposite. The TEM images indicated that the nanocomposites had an average particle size of 6 - 12 nm. In addition, the adsorption and photocatalytic properties of the new material were evaluated. The EPS/TiO2 nanocomposite was efficient at degrading methylene blue (MB) dye solutions under UV irradiation. Furthermore, according to thermal analysis, this material had greater polymer stability due to the incorporation of TiO2.

Influence of a Mineral Filler on the Fire Behaviour and Mechanical Properties of a Wood Waste Composite Material Stabilized with Expanded Polystyrene

The use of vegetable fibers composites in structures sometimes presents significant fires risks because of their high flammability. This work aims to study the impact of the addition of mineral filler (clay) on the fire behaviour of wood-polystyrene composites and their mechanical properties. Thus, composites containing 25% of expanded polystyrene binder have been produced. On this base material, proportions of clay ranging from 0% to 15% were gradually added. These samples were elaborated by compaction and for some them, submitted to thermoforming after drying. Both kinds of sample were subjected to flame persistence test;flexural strength and compressive strength test were also measured. The results show that composites without mineral filler ignite continuously until the total consumption and when the mineral filler content increases the combustion time decreases. The addition of the mineral filler allows these composites to pass from class M3 of moderately flammable combustible materials to class M2 of hardly flammable materials, according to the M classification of construction and furnishing materials. The measurement of the mechanical properties shows that the strengths increase when the filler content goes from 0% to 10% and then decrease. This leads to set the optimum content of mineral filler around 10%.

Development of a Composite Material Based on Wood Waste Stabilized with Recycled Expanded Polystyrene

Environmental pollution is a whole world concern. One of the causes of that pollution is the proliferation of plastic waste. Among these wastes there is expanded polystyrene (EPS), mainly from packaging. This study aims to valorize EPS waste by developing a composite material from EPS waste and wood waste. For this purpose, a resin made of EPS has been elaborated by dissolving EPS in acetone. That resin was used as a binder in volume proportions of 15%, 20%, 25% and 30% to stabilize the samples. Some of them were thermoformed. The method of elaboration was based on a device consisting of an extruder for mixing the constituents, and a manual press for shaping and compacting the samples. Analyses show that the drying time depends on the composition of the mixture. Increasing the resin content leads to reduce water absorption and porosity of the samples;it also contributes to homogenize the internal structure of the samples. However, for the same resin contents, the thermoformed samples are less porous;they have more homogeneous internal structure;and absorb less water than non-thermoformed samples.

膨胀珍珠岩掺量对EPS泡沫混凝土性能的影响

为了解决建筑制冷、保暖所产生的建筑能源损耗问题,本文设计了一种新型、绿色、轻质、高强自保温泡沫混凝土砌块,即将聚苯乙烯(EPS)颗粒和膨胀珍珠岩颗粒这2种隔热轻质骨料与泡沫混凝土混合制成一种新型复合泡沫混凝土,并通过测试该复合混凝土的干密度、抗压强度、孔隙率、吸水率、导热系数、含水率和燃烧质量损失率,探讨膨胀珍珠岩掺量对复合泡沫混凝土性能的影响﹒研究结果表明:一定掺量膨胀珍珠岩能增加EPS泡沫混凝土的抗压强度,降低导热系数和燃烧质量损失率,且当膨胀珍珠岩掺量为12%时,其抗压强度最高为1.66 MPa;当膨胀珍珠岩掺量为21%时,其导热系数最低为0.133 W/(m·K);当膨胀珍珠岩掺量为18%时,其燃烧质量损失率最低为4.2%;当膨胀珍珠岩掺量为6%时,该配比满足A6等级,其干密度、导热系数和抗压强度等级达到C1,吸水率等级达到W10,燃烧性能等级达到A级不燃。

EPS颗粒改良膨胀土强度试验研究

选取湖北某边坡工程膨胀土为试验对象,在保持最大干密度和最优含水率的条件下,通过全自动三轴仪对不同掺量的EPS颗粒改良膨胀土进行三轴试验,探究了不同掺量的EPS颗粒与膨胀土抗剪强度间的关系。结果表明:土样主应力差值先快速增加后缓慢增加达到峰值后下降并稳定;素土样峰值强度最大;随着EPS颗粒掺量增加,土样的强度、黏聚力和内摩擦角都有变小的趋势;当掺量超过10%时,改良膨胀土的强度变化不明显;对比黏聚力、内摩擦角和掺量关系曲线表明黏聚力变化比内摩擦角更明显,说明黏聚力受掺量变化影响较大;通过拟合可得到黏聚力、内摩擦角与掺量的关系式。

An Effective Green Porous Structural Adhesive for Thermal Insulating,Flame-Retardant,and Smoke-Suppressant Expandable Polystyrene Foam

To develop an efficient way to overcome the contradiction among flame retardancy,smoke suppression,and thermal insulation in expanded polystyrene(EPS)foams,which are widely used insulation materials in buildings,a novel"green"porous bio-based flame-retard ant starch(FRS)coating was designed from starch modified with phytic acid(PA)that simultaneously acts as both a flame retardant and an adhesive.This porous FRS coating has open pores,which,in combination with the closed cells formed by EPS beads,create a hierarchically porous structure in FRS-EPS that results in superior thermal insulation with a lower thermal conductivity of 27.0 mW·(m·K)^(-1).The resultant FRS-EPS foam showed extremely low heat-release rates and smoke-production release,indicating excellent fire retardancy and smoke suppression.The specific optical density was as low as 121,which was 80.6%lower than that of neat EPS,at 624.The FRS-EPS also exhibited self-extinguishing behavior in vertical burning tests and had a high limiting oxygen index(LOI)value of 35.5%.More interestingly,after being burnt with an alcohol lamp for 30 min,the top side temperature of the FRS-EPS remained at only 140℃with ignition,thereby exhibiting excellent fire resistance.Mechanism analysis confirmed the intumescent action of FRS,which forms a compact phosphorus-rich hybrid barrier,and the phosphorus-containing compounds that formed in the gas phase contributed to the excellent flame retardancy and smoke suppression of FRS-EPS.This novel porous biomass-based FRS system provides a promising strategy for fabricating polymer foams with excellent flame retardancy,smoke suppression,and thermal insulation.

EPS颗粒混合轻质土的施工技术及其应用实例

EPS颗粒混合轻质土是一种轻质、高强、环保、经济的新型土工材料,但国内还未见工程应用的报道。通过在新安江电厂88—70开关站交通道路工程中的应用实践,探讨了EPS颗粒混合轻质土的施工技术,证实了该材料可以起到缩短工期和提高工程安全性的目的。