Resistência, densidade e desempenho termo-acústico do concreto com espuma de poliestireno expandido (EPS) aplicado às construções

Abstract

The use of expanded polystyrene (EPS) packing has contributed for the production of solid residues in the agricultural and urban environments. This leads to a considerable amount of ambient impact, since same is discarded in garbage deposits, leading approximately one hundred years to degrade. One alternative to solve this problem is the use of this residue as aggregate in concrete, having as final product the light concrete, reducing the consumption of natural resources and ambient damages. The light concrete can be applied in the agricultural constructions, mainly in installations for animals, cold chambers, and climatization of silos, warehouses and deposits for grains. In this work it was verified the viability of use of an alternative material for concrete production, with partial substitution of the coarse aggregate, which can be used in urban and agricultural constructive elements. Reused EPS in the form of flakes was employed for production of light concrete. The experiments had been systematically carried through with cylindrical specimens and concrete plates after 28 days of curing. The rate of substitution of the coarse aggregate by EPS had been of 0% (reference), 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% in volume, as base to carry through the analyzes of density and strength corresponding to 7, 14, 21 and 28 days of curing, in accordance to ABNT's standards. It was verified that the assayed plates had presented a heat transfer reduction of up to 30% and reduction of sound propagation of up to 25%. With regard to the density, it was verified a reduction of up to 30%, generating a light concrete, making the structure lighter and bringing economy in the sizing of the structure. On the other hand, a reduction of the resistance from a certain content of EPS occurred, restricting the use of such concrete to closing, nonstructural, elements. The substitution of the coarse aggregate by EPS gradually produces a lighter concrete due to the addition of voids, what it made possible to obtain a thermal and acoustic isolating material. A direct consequence of the use of the light concrete is the reduction of the consumption of electric energy used by the climatization systems, not compromising the thermal and acoustic comfort in the urban and agricultural constructions. Besides the reuse of the industrial discarding and EPS packing as alternative materials of construction, it must be detached the reduction of the ambient problems caused by the materials used in the concrete production.