Mechanical performance and degradation of lightweight EPS-DSC incorporating desert sand under salt attack

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Wang, Rong and Han, Zhiqiang and Cao, Zhiyang and Wang, Jinsheng and Xu, Guoji (2026) Mechanical performance and degradation of lightweight EPS-DSC incorporating desert sand under salt attack. Construction and Building Materials, 530. 146612. ISSN 0950-0618 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2026.146612)

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Abstract

Engineering structures in salt-affected desert regions of southern Xinjiang are highly vulnerable to environmental deterioration, while local aggregate scarcity further constrains conventional concrete production. To improve material sustainability and local resource utilization, a lightweight expanded polystyrene desert-sand concrete (EPS-DSC) was developed using EPS beads and DS as partial replacements. This study evaluates the mechanical properties and degradation behavior of EPS-DSC under non-corrosive exposure, sulfate attack, chloride-sulfate attack, and coupled wet-dry cycles. Results show that DS at an optimal mass replacement ratio of approximately 35% improves both workability and strength, whereas excessive DS leads to deterioration due to increased paste demand. The incorporation of 5–10% EPS reduces compressive strength but enhances crack resistance. Under Na2SO4 exposure, compressive strength of EPS-DSC increases with curing age and reaches a gain of approximately 53% at 28 days due to pore refinement, after which it stabilizes. Under coupled chloride-sulfate attack, strength exhibits a non-monotonic trend, peaking at around 75 days before declining due to crystallization-induced expansion and microcrack propagation. When wet-dry cycles are introduced, compressive strength decreases with increasing cycle number, exhibiting a three-stage pattern: initial stabilization, accelerated deterioration, and late-stage deceleration. Mechanistically, the synergistic effects of EPS-induced crack-bridging and DS-enhanced pore refinement effectively mitigate microstructural damage and delay strength degradation at early stages. However, long-term durability remains adversely affected by sulfate expansion. These findings provide guidance for the application of sustainable lightweight concrete in saline environments.

ORCID iDs

Wang, Rong, Han, Zhiqiang, Cao, Zhiyang, Wang, Jinsheng ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1253-3050 and Xu, Guoji;
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)