Assessment of a Plastic and Liapor Mixture in Terms of Compressive Strength

Abstract In the construction industry, efforts are continually being made to replace natural resources with recycled or artificial materials to promote sustainable development worldwide. This article explores the use of recycled plastic waste (expanded polystyrene and polyester fibers) combined with lightweight expanded clay aggregate (Liapor) to produce a mixture that could potentially be used as a structural layer in sub-ballast layers. Prior to testing this recycled material, it was hypothesized that the layer would serve a thermal insulation function and potentially provide partial reinforcement within the structural composition of the sub-ballast layers. The article outlines the procedure for manufacturing samples of the mixture made from plastic and Liapor, which was subjected to a compressive strength test. The results of the compressive strength test revealed that the sample’s strength was insufficient for its intended use in the structural composition of the sub-ballast layers as the achieved maximum compressive strength was only approx. 0.40 MPa. However, its favorable thermal insulation properties remain promising and should be verified in future laboratory investigations after adjusting the ratio of material components and possibly the manufacturing process.