A comparative embodied energy analysis of a house with recycled expanded polystyrene (EPS) based foam concrete wall panels

Expanded polystyrene (EPS) is one of the building material capable of enhancing the design and structural integrity of the building. Since its recognition as conventional insulating material in 1950s, EPS has been experiencing swift progress in other new implementations. Currently, EPS is utilized in many building structures owing to its sustainability benefit and improvement in terms of energy efficiency, durability, and indoor environmental quality. This article provides an overview on the application of EPS as aggregates in lightweight concrete, decorative tiles and molding, panel application (structural insulated panels (SIPs) and composite SIPs), and embankment backfilling. Also, this article attempts to describe the properties of EPS in terms of fire behavior, mechanical properties, chemical resistant, water and moisture absorption, and their toxicity to the human and environment. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019, 136, 47529.

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“…(Reproduced from Ref. , with permission from Elsevier.) [Color figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]…”

Section: Application Of Eps In Construction Industrymentioning

confidence: 99%

Application of expanded polystyrene (EPS) in buildings and constructions: A review

Sulong

Mustapa

Rashid

2019

J of Applied Polymer Sci

131

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“…In this regard, one of the main technological tasks is the development of methods for raw materials preparing that would minimize this negative impact. The simplest technologies of disposing of EPS involve its use as a filler for new materials, such as light concrete , or highly effective heat‐insulating plaster mortars .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Modified Densified Waste of Expanded Polystyrene and Its Blends With Polyamide 6

Levytskyi

Moravskyi

Masyuk

et al. 2020

Polymer Engineering & Sci

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The regularities of expanded polystyrene (EPS) waste modified by polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) with the simultaneous gas release in various solvents were revealed. The upper sorption limit depends on the nature of the solvent, the concentration and molecular mass of the PVP, the temperature of the process, and the apparent density of the EPS. It was established that the sorption limit of PVP increases with increasing of its concentration in the system and decreases with molecular mass increasing. Based on XRD and FTIR analyses, it was determined that materials based on polyamide 6 and EPS modified by PVP have an increased crystallinity degree by 10-15%, a smaller average crystallite size and higher technological compatibility. The addition of PVP-modified EPS contributes to the increase of the yield strength of polyamide 6 by about 5%-10%. The increase of the Vicat softening point by 5-8 K and the surface hardness by 25-30 MPa of materials based on polyamide 6 and modified polystyrene was investigated. It is caused by the redistribution of intermolecular bonds between the components of the blend under by the effect of a uniformly distributed PVP in the EPS resulting in increased compatibility between the components and the compacted structure. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 60:935-943, 2020. * modified EPS; ** degassed EPS. FIG. 7 XRD patterns of mixtures on the basis of PA-6 and EPS: (a) pure PA-6; (b) mixture of PA-6 and modified EPS; (c) mixture of PA-6 and degassed EPS. EPS content 5 wt%. 1-approximation curve of diffraction; 2, 3, 4, 5optimized curves of intensity of reflexes of the planes (200)α-, (002)α-, γ-, and amorphous phase.

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“…Alternative materials are under scrutiny, for example, insulation cork boards (Silvestre, Pargana, de Brito, Pinheiro, & Durão, ) and thermal mortars with nano‐materials (Garrido, Silvestre, & Flores‐Colen, ). Yet, there are also efforts to rethink traditional materials to improve insulating or structural capacities and environmental impacts, for example, example recycled expanded polystyrene (Dissanayake, Jayasinghe, & Jayasinghe, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using anticipatory life cycle assessment to enable future sustainable construction

Göswein

Rodrigues

Silvestre

et al. 2019

J of Industrial Ecology

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The built environment is the largest single emitter of CO2 and an important consumer of energy. Much research has gone into the improved efficiency of building operation and construction products. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is commonly used to assess existing buildings or building products. Classic LCA, however, is not suited for evaluating the environmental performance of developing technologies. A new approach, anticipatory LCA (a‐LCA), promises various advantages and can be used as a design constraint during the product development stage. It helps overcome four challenges: (i) data availability, (ii) stakeholder inclusion, (iii) risk assessment, and (iv) multi‐criteria problems. This article's contribution to the line of research is twofold: first, it adapts the a‐LCA approach for construction‐specific purposes in theoretical terms for the four challenges. Second, it applies the method to an innovative prefabricated modular envelope system, the CleanTechBlock (CTB), focusing on challenge (i). Thirty‐six CTB designs are tested and compared to conventional walls. Inclusion of technology foresight is achieved through structured scenario analysis. Moreover, challenge (iv) is tackled through the analysis of different environmental impact categories, transport‐related impacts, and thickness of the wall assemblies of the CTB. The case study results show that optimized material choice and product design is needed to reach the lowest environmental impact. Methodological findings highlight the importance of context‐specific solutions and the need for benchmarking new products.

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A comparative embodied energy analysis of a house with recycled expanded polystyrene (EPS) based foam concrete wall panels

Cited by 121 publications

References 25 publications

Application of expanded polystyrene (EPS) in buildings and constructions: A review

Application of expanded polystyrene (EPS) in buildings and constructions: A review

Modified Densified Waste of Expanded Polystyrene and Its Blends With Polyamide 6

Using anticipatory life cycle assessment to enable future sustainable construction

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