Characterization and simulation of microstructure and properties of EPS lightweight concrete

EPS concretes are composed of high performance cement mixed with millimetre-size expanded polystyrene spheres. They exhibit a priori contradictory thermal and mechanical features that are suitable for the construction industry. This paper aims at characterizing the microstructure and the properties of EPS concretes and investigating the possibility of predicting these properties through various modelling approaches. It is shown that EPS concretes cannot compete against classical autoclaved cellular concrete in terms of properties but it is however a practical material whose properties can easily be tuned by changing its composition. Modelling should be a useful support for predicting the relation between properties and composition.