إستخدام الطوب الرغوي في التربة الرطبة المالحة

Abstract

Abstract : This research evaluates the performance of foam bricks (lightweight EPS concrete) in wet, saline soils as a viable alternative to traditional building materials that suffer rapid deterioration due to chemical reactions. To achieve this, laboratory samples were manufactured using cement, gypsum, and polystyrene beads. Physical and mechanical tests were conducted on the samples before and after being buried in a wet, saline soil environment for 60 days . The results confirmed the lightweight nature of the foam bricks, recording an average dry density of 0.713 g/cm³. Following the 60-day exposure, the samples exhibited a 6.85% increase in weight due to moisture absorption and salt crystallization within the pores, alongside visual evidence of efflorescence and micro-cracking. Mechanically, compressive strength decreased by 22.48% (from 1.7 MPa to 1.31 MPa), primarily driven by chemical reactions between sulfates and cement compounds creating internal tensile stresses. The study concludes that the foam bricks retained approximately 77.52% of their initial strength, making them an acceptable engineering choice for non-load-bearing applications in such environments, provided that protective insulation layers and sulfate-resistant cement (SRC) are utilized to enhance durability .