Polystyrene concrete house: material characteristics,

Innovative technologies are an integral part of modern construction, which, despite established standards, readily accepts various innovations. One of the most popular trends is the use of polystyrene concrete, which successfully replaces traditional reinforced concrete structures. Today, you can easily build a house from polystyrene concrete with your own hands, without encountering any technical difficulties on your way.

However, like any other innovation, the use of polystyrene concrete causes a certain mistrust, since more well-established standards have been successfully tested by time, which is not the case with this technology. Taking into account the relative novelty of the material, it is rather difficult at first glance to determine its advantages and disadvantages, which may ultimately be the cause of the discrepancy between the desired reality and the situation.

Since a lack of awareness of the quality of the material can lead to various unpleasant consequences, before giving polystyrene concrete to your preference, it is necessary to become familiar with its features. In this article, you will be presented with detailed information about the basic properties of polystyrene concrete that should be considered when building a house.

It will also contain instructions on how to make polystyrene concrete at home.

Material Features

Polystyrene concrete consists of Portland cement, polystyrene granules (in some cases mineral filler is also added) and modifying additives. The main difference of these products from more traditional analogues is the use of non-standard filler, which radically changes the properties of the final product. Consider the main features of this material.

Virtues

• Weight. Polystyrene concrete is lightweight products, which belongs to the class of lightweight concrete. For comparison, one cubic meter of polystyrene concrete weighs from 300 to 500 kg, while the weight of heavy concrete does not fall below 2 tons. This allows you to significantly ease the load on the foundation and the structure as a whole without losing the strength of the concrete product;
• Heat and sound insulation. Polystyrene granules существенно повышают тепло и звукоизоляционные характеристики бетонных конструкций, что позволяет не производить работы по дополнительному утеплению. Построив здание из полистиролбетона, вы сразу можете приступать к его декоративной отделке;
• Price. The low density of the concrete final product makes it possible to significantly save money on strengthening the bearing elements of the building, transporting the blocks and installing them;

• Installation. Polystyrene concrete has a relatively low weight, which allows for construction work without the participation of specialized equipment and a large amount of labor. This material is fairly easy to process - if necessary, it is sawn with an ordinary hacksaw.

Note! Ease of processing depends on the brand of the density of products - the higher it is, the harder it will be to cut. Starting with the D1200 brand, polystyrene concrete must necessarily include quartz sand, which in turn excludes the possibility of sawing with improvised means. In this case, cutting of reinforced concrete with diamond circles and diamond drilling of holes in concrete is used.

disadvantages

• Combustibility. This product belongs to class G1, that is, as such it does not possess flammability, but it is also impossible to call it fire-resistant;

• Frost resistance. Polystyrene concrete is sensitive enough to cold - the constant change of freezing and thawing cycles can significantly weaken its structure. In this regard, it is recommended to cover the walls with a thick layer of plaster;
• Vapor permeability. The presence of polystyrene greatly reduces the vapor permeability of the structure - designs of polystyrene concrete houses must necessarily take into account the presence of a ventilation system;

Manufacturing

Making polystyrene concrete at home is an indispensable part of a hand-made construction of a house. There are several varieties of polystyrene concrete, which differ from each other in degree of density. Depending on the labeling, a particular name may be used for various purposes. Consider the most common marking polystyrene, which are used in modern construction.

Note! In some cases, it may be necessary to add a mineral filler (sand) - in this case its proportion with cement is 1: 1. This significantly increases the strength characteristics of products, but at the same time increases the weight and impairs thermal conductivity. This action should be due to the causes of the constructional nature.

Products brand D200 - D 300 is used as the creation of the insulating layer. Polystyrene concrete D 400 and D 500 can be used for the construction of intermediate or load-bearing walls in small-sized construction (temporary shelters, garages, etc.). Brand name D 600 is permissible to use in private low-rise construction.

Polystyrene concrete is best mixed using a concrete mixer or a closed bucket. The presence of PB 2000 additives is mandatory, since in addition to air-entraining properties, it also plays the role of surfactants, increasing the degree of adhesion of the granules of the filler to the cement mortar.

Total

If you decide to build a house from polystyrene concrete, then this article will help you take into account the main features of this technology. More information on this topic can be obtained by viewing the video in this article.