Physical and Mechanical Properties of New Lightweight Ambient-Cured EPS Geopolymer Composites
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 33, Issue 6
Abstract
Lightweight concrete (LWC) has been developed and used in both structural and nonstructural applications. With an increasing demand for sustainable construction materials, geopolymer as an eco-friendly material has been intensively investigated. This study developed a newly synthesized lightweight ambient-cured geopolymer composite (LGC) by replacing natural fine aggregate with expanded polystyrene (EPS) beads at 10%, 20%, and 30% in volume for various structural or nonstructural purposes. The obtained composite was characterized with regard to its physical and mechanical properties. The interfacial area between the geopolymer matrix and EPS beads was observed. The properties of the developed LGC at fresh and hardened states, such as density, workability, compressive and splitting tensile strength, modulus of elasticity and Poisson’s ratio, were obtained and compared. The test results showed that the EPS inclusion had a significant effect on the properties of LGC. Empirical formulas for predicting the compressive strength, modulus of elasticity, and splitting tensile strength of the developed LGC are proposed.
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Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or codes that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank the financial support from the Australian Research Council via Laureate Fellowship FL180100196.
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Published In
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 33 • Issue 6 • June 2021
Copyright
© 2021 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jun 9, 2020
Accepted: Oct 6, 2020
Published online: Mar 17, 2021
Published in print: Jun 1, 2021
Discussion open until: Aug 17, 2021
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