Effect of incorporating Expanded polystyrene beads on Thermophysical, mechanical properties and life cycle analysis of lightweight earth blocks

Abstract

The excessive consumption of energy used for ensuring the indoor thermal comfort of buildings has led to a rise in the economic and environmental impacts of the construction sector. On the other hand, one of the most important challenges for future constructions is reducing energy consumption, which is why the scientific community is working on developing lightweight, insulating, environmentally friendly building materials.The main purpose of this investigation is to study lightweight blocks (LWB) made from raw earth, stabilized with lime, and mixed with Expanded Polystyrene (ESP). In this context, the study evaluates the effects of the incorporation of different contents of EPS beads (0, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65% by volume) on the thermal properties, mechanical behavior and life cycle assessment of lightweight earth blocks. The results show that incorporating EPS beads improves the thermal insulation performance by an estimated 47.19% and 57.36% at a content of 40% and 65% of EPS beads, respectively, compared with control samples (without EPS beads). On the other hand, the results indicate a decrease in flexural and compressive strengths by an estimated 90.50% and 96.59%, respectively, for the sample containing 65% of EPS beads compared with reference samples. However, when compared to the reference samples, the findings of the curves of stress–strain revealed that the incorporation of the EPS beads improved the ductility of the lightweight blocks. Moreover, the life-cycle analysis of walls made of lightweight 65% EPS beads showed a decrease in the energy required and the effect of greenhouse CO2 with an estimated value of 19.82% and 15.86%, respectively, compared to conventional air blade walls.