STYROFOAM-EXPANDED POLYSTYRENE
CONCRETE INSULATION
PURPOSE:
TO MIX CONCRETE WITH DIFFERENT PERCENTAGES OF STYROFOAM BEADS TO DETERMINE WHAT PERCENTAGES GIVE INSULATION WITHOUT REDUCING STRENGTH.
HYPOTHESIS:
SINCE STYROFOAM HAS INSULATION PROPERTIES, IF IT IS MIXED WITH CONCRETE IT COULD ADD TO THE INSULATION OF BASEMENTS OR FOUNDATIONS OF HOUSES. A PERCENTAGE MIX OF STYROFOAM AND CONCRETE COULD BE DETERMINED THAT WOULD HAVE INSULATION PROPERTIES WITHOUT COMPROMISING STRENGTH.
MATERIAL:
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PREMIXED CONCRETE |
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WATER IN A LARGE CONTAINER |
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STYROFOAM PELLETS (RUN THROUGH FOOD PROCESSOR) |
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5 BRICK SIZE GLAD PLASTIC CONTAINERS |
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¼ CUP MEASURE |
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MIXING TABLE FOR STYROFOAM/WATER/CONCRETE CONCENTRATIONS |
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MIXING UTENSIL SUCH AS A PLASTIC SPOON OR SCRAPER |
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LARGE PLASTIC CONTAINER TO MIX THE CONCRETE/STYROFOAM MIXTURE |
PROCEDURE:
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PREPARE A TABLE TO DETERMINE PROPORTIONS OF MIXES (SEE ATTACHED TABLE) |
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MIX DRY INGREDIENTS IN PLASTIC CONTAINERS AS FOLLOWS |
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#1-100%CONCRETE |
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#2-10% STYROFOAM BEADS/90% CONCRETE |
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#3-20% STYROFOAM BEADS/80% CONCRETE |
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#4-30% STYROFOAM BEADS/70% CONCRETE |
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#5-50% STYROFOAM BEADS/50% CONCRETE |
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ADD WATER AS OUTLINED IN TABLE |
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MIX WITH HAND TOOL UNTIL A DRY MUD LIKE CONSISTENCY IS ACHIEVED |
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SMOOTH THE SURFACE |
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PLACE IN A WARM DRY PLACE FOR 48 HRS |
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WEIGH THE BRICKS AND RECORD DRY WEIGHTS ON MIX RATIO CHART |
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INSPECT THE BRICKS FOR STRENGTH BY APPLYING EQUAL HAND PRESSURE TO EACH BRICK. RECORD RESULTS |
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TAP THE BRICKS WITH A HAMMER BY HOLDING A RULER PERPENDICULAR TO THE BRICK AND LOOSELY HOLDING THE HANDLE OF THE HAMMER AT 10CM-15CM-20CM-25CM THEN LETTING IT DROP ONTO THE BRICK SURFACE (DO NOT EXERT FORCE) RECORD RESULTS |
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TEST EACH BRICK FOR STRENGTH ON A HYDRAULIC RAM AND CALCULATE THE PSI THAT EACH BLOCK CAN WITHSTAND BEFORE BREAKING. |
LIMITING FACTORS:
WE DID NOT VIBRATE THE AIR OUT OF THE CEMENT ENOUGH. WHEN WE SHOWED OUR SAMPLES TO THE LOCAL CONCRETE CONTRACTOR HE ADVISED THAT THE STRENGTH WAS DIMINISHED IN OUR CONCRETE BECAUSE OF AIR POCKETS. WE WILL RE DO THE CEMENT BUT SINCE IT TAKES 48 HOURS TO CURE IT WILL BE DONE AS A FOLLOW-UP EXPERIMENT.
RESULTS:
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THE FIRST SET OF BRICKS WAS TOO THIN AND TOO MUCH WATER WAS ADDED SO THEY WERE SOFT AND CRACKED AND THE STYROFOAM FLOATED TO THE TOP. THE EXPERIMENT WAS REPEATED WITH A DIFFERENT MIX RATIO AND THE BRICKS PRODUCED WERE HARD AND WELL FORMED |
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THE CONCRETE AND STYROFOAM MIXED EVENLY. |
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THE BRICKS BECAME LIGHTER IN WEIGHT AS HIGHER PERCENTAGES OF STYROFOAM WERE ADDED |
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I WAS UNABLE TO CRACK OR BREAK THE BLOCKS BY APPLYING PRESSURE WITH MY HANDS OR WITH A HAMMER |
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TESTS WITH A HYDRAULIC PRESS SHOWED THAT THE STRENGTH OF THE CONCRETE DECREASED AS MORE STYROFOAM WAS ADDED AND I WAS ABLE TO BREAK ALL BRICKS AT OR UNDER 3000 PSI |
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TESTS FOR INSULATION WERE NOT PERFORMED AS WE NEED BIGGER BLOCKS TO MAKE A BOX SHAPE |
CONCLUSIONS:
STYROFOAM CAN BE MIXED WITH CEMENT TO REPLACE SOME OF THE AGGREGATE. THE RESULTING BLOCKS WERE STRONG AND WITHSTOOD HAMMER BLOWS. THE MORE STYROFOAM ADDED TO A BLOCK, THE WEAKER IT BECAME. IN ORDER TO TEST FOR INSULATION PROPERTIES I WOULD NEED TO MAKE 6 BLOCKS OF A BIGGER SIZE OF 100% CONCRETE AND ANOTHER SET OF 6 BLOCKS WITH A SET % OF STYROFOAM TO MAKE BOXES AND THEN I COULD DO EXPERIMENTS TO TEST HEAT AND COLD INSULATION PROPERTIES
CONCRETE/STYROFOAM MIXING RATIO
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CONCENTRATION
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CONCRETE MEASUREMENT |
WATER MEASUREMENT |
STYROFOAM MEASUREMENT |
DRY WEIGHT |
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100% CONCRETE |
10 MEASURES
|
2 MEASURES |
0 MEASURES |
1185 GRAMS |
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10% STYROFOAM/ 90% CONCRETE |
9 MEASURES |
2 MEASURES |
1 MEASURES |
1130 GRAMS |
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20% STYROFOAM/ 80% CONCRETE |
8 MEASURES |
2 MEASURES |
2 MEASURES |
1105 GRAMS
|
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30% STYROFOAM/ 70% CONCRETE |
7 MEASURES |
2 MEASURES |
3 MEASURES |
972 GRAMS
|
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50%STRYROFOAM/ 50% CONCRETE |
5 MEASURES |
1.5 MEASURES |
5 MEASURES |
677 GRAMS |
*NOTE THE MEASURES USED WERE ¼ CUP MEASURES
TEST FOR CONCRETE/STYROFOAM STRENGTH WITH 2 LB HAMMER
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MIX RATIO
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10CM HEIGHT |
15CM HEIGHT |
20CM HEIGHT |
25CM HEIGHT |
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100% CONCRETE
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NO DAMAGE |
NO DAMAGE |
NO DAMAGE |
NO DAMAGE |
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10% STYROFOAM
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NO DAMAGE |
NO DAMAGE |
NO DAMAGE |
NO DAMAGE |
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20% STYROFOAM
|
NO DAMAGE |
NO DAMAGE |
NO DAMAGE |
NO DAMAGE |
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30% STYROFOAM
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NO DAMAGE |
NO DAMAGE |
NO DAMAGE |
NO DAMAGE |
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50% STYROFOAM |
NO DAMAGE |
NO DAMAGE |
NO DAMAGE |
NO DAMAGE
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TAYLOR HETT
GRADE 8
A.L. MATHERS ELEMENTARY/SECONDARY
ELECTRONIC SCHOOL