Study of Mechanical and Thermal Characteristics of Different Formulations of Lightweight Polystyrene Mortar

Abstract

in this thesis, we aimed to recycle both used polystyrene from packaging and crushed bricks from demolition waste, by using them as partial replacements for sand and cement in the preparation of lightweight mortar mixes used for manufacturing thermally insulating panels .Three substitution rates were adopted: (20%, 25%, and 30%) of the total sand volume replaced with polystyrene,and (05%,10%,15%) of the total cement mass replaced with brick waste. Various tests carried out on the samples showed that the recycled materials contributed to reducing the weight of the mortar and improving its thermal properties, while maintaining acceptable mechanical strength — confirming the relevance of this approach from both environmental and technical perspectives.