Applicability of the Expanded Polystyrene as a Soil Improvement Tool

Abstract

EPS is the international acronym for expanded polystyrene, which is a thermoplastic derived from petroleum. Each EPS bead is composed of 98% air and 2% raw material (in mass); therefore, its considered a waste problem because it occupies a lot of space in landfill sites. An alternative for reducing the disposal of this product is using it as a soil reinforcement material in earthworks. This paper presents the experimental study performed to assess the behavior of three types of soil (colluvial clayey soil, sandy soil, and bentonite) reinforced with the addition of EPS beads. The soil samples with and without the addition of EPS beads were submitted to compaction tests, isotropically consolidated drained triaxial compression tests, and direct shear tests. The results showed that the soil type, the content of EPS beads, and the level of confining stress influenced the final mechanical behavior of the composites in relation to the resistance parameters.