Marine floating concrete made with polystyrene expanded beads

Synopsis The performance of concrete containing expanded polystyrene beads was studied in the context of marine floating structures and compared with that of concrete containing perlite, the latter being an ultra-lightweight aggregate used for marine applications. It was found that, for an equal density of about 80% that of sea water, polystyrene concrete has a compressive strength that is 50% higher, a modulus of elasticity 100% higher, and a modulus of rupture 25% higher than those of perlite concrete. Furthermore, polystyrene concrete is much more resistant to sulphate solutions than perlite concrete even though it is less resistant than normal-weight concrete.