Experimental study of unconfined compression strength of Clay-Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) stabilized with alkaline

Concern for the global environmental impact of industrial waste disposal and the strict legal rules on the environment has led to various studies of recycled materials. One of the most widely used and recycled materials is Expanded Polystyrene. Expanded Polystyrene has a low mass compared to its volume. This has made many breakthroughs in EPS waste recycling as a substitute material, one of which is in the manufacture of lightweight materials used in the field of civil engineering. Therefore, this study focused on the development of soil composites made by mixing recycled EPS with quicklime stabilization clay activated by gum rosin and iron oxide (hereinafter referred to as alkaline) based on the weight ratio with variations of 0%, 0.3%, 0.6% and 0.9% using the slurry method. The parameters to be analyzed are the Unconfined Compressive Strength values of each mixture variation in a certain curing period. So that the optimum composition between clay, activator, and EPS will be obtained. The test results show that the addition of activator and EPS can significantly reduce the weight of the specimen. So it can be concluded that the addition of EPS and activator can reduce weight with an optimum composition of 0.9% EPS in 28 days of curing where the compressive strength of the specimen is higher than the value of the compressive strength of the clay.