Mechanics of Materials 39 (2007) 222240

www.elsevier.com/locate/mechmat

Particle size eect on EPS lightweight concrete

compressive strength: Experimental investigation and modelling
K. Miled
a

a,b

a,*

, K. Sab

, R. Le Roy

Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussees, LAMI, Institut Navier, 6 et 8, Avenue Blaise Pascal, Cite Descartes,
Champs-sur-Marne, 77455 Marne-La-Vallee, France
b
Laboratoire Central des Ponts et Chaussees, Division BCC, 58, BD Lefebvre, 75732 Paris cedex 15, France
Received 5 July 2005; received in revised form 20 April 2006

Abstract
It had been observed [Parant, E., Le Roy, R., 1999. Optimisation des betons de densite inferieure a` 1. Tech. rep., Laboratoire Central des Ponts et Chaussees, Paris, France; Le Roy, R., Parant, E., Boulay, C., 2005. Taking into account the
inclusions size in lightweight concrete compressive strength prediction. Cem. Concr. Res. 35 (4), 770775; Ganesh Babu,
K., Saradhi Babu, D., 2002. Behaviour of lightweight expanded polystyrene concrete containing silica fume. Cem. Concr.
Res. 2249, 18; Laukaitis, A., Zurauskas, R., Keriene, J., 2005. The eect of foam polystyrene granules on cement composite properties. Cem. Concr. Compos. 27 (1), 4147] that the compressive strength of expanded polystyrene (EPS) lightweight concrete increases signicantly with a decrease in EPS bead size (/), for the same concrete (macro) porosity (p)
(EPS volume fraction). To conrm that this scaling phenomenon is an intrinsic particle size eect which is related to
the EPS bead size (/) and not aected by a volume size eect related to the specimen size (D), compressive tests have been
carried out on homothetic EPS concrete specimens containing homothetic EPS beads. Moreover, ve concrete (macro)
porosities ranging from 10% to 50% have been investigated. Compressive tests results have conrmed the presence of a
particle size eect on the EPS concrete compressive strength. Further, it is observed that this size eect is very pronounced
for low porosity concretes and becomes negligible for very high porosity concretes. Based on EPS concrete failure modes
analysis, a phenomenological model has been proposed with a view to explaining the EPS concrete particle size eect
 and
predicting its normalized compressive strength according to the concrete (macro) porosity (p) and to the ratio l/c , where
(lc) is the width of the EPS concrete matrix fracture process zone (FPZ). The model predictions have been then compared
with experimental results, showing a good agreement.
 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Lightweight concrete; Particle size eect; Volume size eect; Characteristic material length; Macro porosity

1. Introduction
*

Corresponding author. Tel.: +33 164 153749; fax: +33 164

153741.
E-mail addresses: miled@lcpc.fr (K. Miled), sab@lami.enpc.fr
(K. Sab), Leroy@lami.enpc.fr (R. Le Roy).

It had been observed that the compressive

strength of expanded polystyrene (EPS) lightweight
concrete increases with a decrease in EPS bead size,

0167-6636/$ - see front matter  2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.mechmat.2006.05.008

K. Miled et al. / Mechanics of Materials 39 (2007) 222240

for the same concrete density. This scaling phenomenon was observed rst in 1999 by Parant and Le
Roy on the basis of an experimental investigation aiming to formulate and optimize an EPS
concrete of a density ranging from 600 kg/m3 to
1400 kg/m3 and possessing structural strength quality. Three sizes of polystyrene beads were used in
this investigation (1, 3 and 6 mm) with a very high
strength mortar matrix. Results of compressive
tests, performed on EPS concrete cylindrical specimens of 110 mm diameter and 220 mm height and
of 1400 kg/m3 density and containing 1 mm EPS
beads, had showed an increase of 50% in the EPS
concrete compressive strength in comparison with
strengths given by specimens of the same dimensions and the same density but containing 6 mm
EPS beads. However, for lower EPS concrete densities (or higher EPS volume fractions), Parant and Le
Roy observed that EPS bead size inuence on the
lightweight concrete compressive strength becomes
negligible.
This phenomenon was then conrmed by Ganesh
Babu and Saradhi Babu (2002) with structural EPS
concretes of higher densities (ranging from 1440 kg/
m3 to 1850 kg/m3) and with two EPS bead sizes:
6.3 mm and 4.75 mm. Further, by Laukaitis et al.
(2005) who observed the same scaling phenomenon
on ultra lightweight EPS concrete (of density ranging from 150 kg/m3 to 300 kg/m3) made of a foam
matrix (mortar with embedded polystyrene) and
EPS beads of diameters ranging from 2.5 mm to
10 mm. In fact, for the same concrete density, compressive tests results showed an increase of 40% in
the compressive strength given by 2.55 mm EPS
beads concrete in comparison with the one given
by 510 mm EPS beads concrete.
The main purpose of this paper is to conrm rst
that this scaling phenomenon is an intrinsic particle
size eect which is related to the EPS bead size (/)
and not aected by a volume size eect related to
the specimen size (D). Thereafter, to identify the
physical origin of this size eect and to determine
the law governing it. The paper is organised as follows. In Section 2, the results of an experimental
investigation performed on 15 EPS concrete mixes
are presented. Section 3 is devoted to the explanation of the physical origin of this size eect on the
basis of the analysis of EPS concrete failure modes.
In Section 4, a phenomenological model is proposed
to predict the EPS concrete normalized compressive
strength according to the concrete (macro) porosity
(p) (EPS volume fraction) and to the EPS bead size

223

(/). Finally, the major conclusions are summarised

in Section 5.
2. Experimental investigation
This experimental investigation is the continuation of the one made by Parant and Le Roy in
1999 (Parant and Le Roy, 1999; Le Roy et al.,
2005). That is why their ultra high strength mortar
matrix was used to made the EPS concretes. This
matrix is made with CEM I 52.5 cement, class A
silica fume (according to NF P 18 502), a rounded
quartz sand of a maximum diameter estimated a priori at 300 lm and a polycarboxylate-based superplasticizer. It has a water to cement ratio of 0.26,
a silica fume to cement ratio of 0.3 and a superplasticizer dosage of 0.9%. Mix proportions of the EPS
concrete matrix are summarised in Table 1.
Moreover, to highlight the EPS bead size inuence on EPS concrete compressive strength, three
sizes of EPS beads were used: /1 = 1 mm,
/2 = 2.5 mm and /3 = 6.3 mm (Fig. 1). These sizes
present a ratio of homothety of 2.5.
Furthermore, since Parant and Le Roy (1999)
had already explored a domain of EPS concrete
densities ranging from 600 kg/m3 to 1400 kg/m3
and had observed that for very low density concretes the size eect becomes negligible, it was chosen to investigate the ve following EPS concrete
densities: 1200, 1400, 1600, 1800 and 2000 kg/m3.
In fact, with these densities it was hoped to observe
an important particle size eect on the EPS concrete
compressive strength. To obtain these densities, the
polystyrene amount was varied in the EPS concrete
mixes. The EPS volume fraction (p) considered here
as the concrete (macro) porosity was determined by
the following formula:
q
 qconcrete
p matrix
;
qmatrix  qEPS
where qmatrix, qconcrete and qEPS are respectively the
densities of matrix, EPS concrete and EPS beads.
Table 1
Mix composition of the EPS concrete mortar matrix
Mix component
Cement CEM I 52.5 HTS du Teil
Rounded quartz ne sand Semanez
Silica fume
Superplasticizer Optima 175
Water
Matrix density (kg/m3)

Proportion (kg/m3)
961.9
786.00
288.60
8.30
244.30
2289.1

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K. Miled et al. / Mechanics of Materials 39 (2007) 222240

Fig. 1. (110 220 mm) EPS concrete cylinders containing respectively 1 mm, 2.5 mm and 6.3 mm EPS beads.

Table 2
Mix designs (kg/m3) of 1 mm EPS beads concretes
Mix

M1  10

M1  20

M1  30

M1  40

M1  50

Cement
Sand
Silica fume
Superplasticizer
Water
EPS beads (/1 = 1 mm)
p (%)
qconcrete (kg/m3)

839.35
685.86
251.83
7.24
213.17
2.55
12.8
2000

754.56
616.58
226.39
6.51
191.64
4.31
21.7
1800

669.78
547.30
200.96
5.78
170.11
6.07
30.5
1600

585.00
478.02
175.52
5.05
148.58
7.84
39.4
1400

500.22
408.74
150.08
4.32
127.04
9.60
48.3
1200

The latter decreases when the EPS bead size increases. In fact, q1 = 33 kg/m3 for /1 = 1 mm,
q2 = 19 kg/m3 for /2 = 2.5 mm and q3 = 17 kg/m3
for /3 = 6.3 mm (Le Roy et al., 2005). The 15 mix
designs are summarised in Tables 24.1 These mixes
were prepared in a standard concrete mixer; water,
superplasticizer, silica fume, sand and cement are
successively introduced in the mixer. After 5 min
of mixing, when the mortar became homogeneous,
EPS beads were introduced and the mixing was
maintained two more minutes at low speed. Further, the EPS concrete was poured in the moulds
without vibration to avoid segregation. Specimens
were demoulded after 48 h and protected from dessication with an aluminium paper, and then stored in
laboratory conditions (22 3 C) for 28 days. For
each EPS concrete (macro) porosity, each EPS bead
size and each specimen size, four samples were cast.
Moreover, for each concrete porosity, it was
decided to report each value and not the average
value because porosity of the samples varies slightly
1
M1, M2 and M3 represent mixes containing respectively 1 mm,
2.5 mm and 6.3 mm EPS beads. The following number indicates
the (macro) porosity (p) ranging from 10% to 50%.

(notably for low porosity EPS concretes). Finally, to

make the comparison between the compressive
strengths of the three EPS bead sizes concretes easier for the same concrete porosity, it was decided to
compare the normalized

 compressive strengths
given by the ratio rrp;/
, where r(p, /) is the EPS
matrix
concrete compressive strength for a given (macro)
porosity (p) and EPS bead size (/) and rmatrix is
the matrix average compressive strength. In fact,
the mixes were prepared separately for the three
EPS bead sizes concretes and it was found that their
matrixes average compressive strengths were slightly
dierent; r1matrix 161 MPa for /1 = 1 mm, r2matrix
149 MPa for /2 = 2.5 mm and r3matrix 154:5 MPa
for /3 = 6.3 mm.

2.1. Results of modulus of elasticity tests

Static modulus of elasticity tests were carried out
on the (110 220 mm) EPS concrete cylinders for
each EPS bead size. The results of these tests
showed that there is no particle size eect on the
elastic modulus of EPS concrete. In fact, this
mechanical material property does not depend on

K. Miled et al. / Mechanics of Materials 39 (2007) 222240

225

Table 3
Mix designs (kg/m3) of 2.5 mm EPS beads concretes
Mix

M2  10

M2  20

M2  30

M2  40

M2  50

Cement
Sand
Silica fume
Superplasticizer
Eau
EPS beads (/2 = 2.5 mm)
p (%)
qconcrete (kg/m3)

839.40
685.90
251.85
7.24
213.19
2.42
12.7
2000

754.66
616.65
226.42
6.51
191.66
4.09
21.5
1800

669.91
547.41
200.99
5.78
170.14
5.77
30.4
1600

585.17
478.16
175.57
5.05
148.62
7.44
39.2
1400

500.42
408.91
150.14
4.32
127.09
9.12
48.0
1200

Table 4
Mix designs (kg/m3) of 6.3 mm EPS beads concretes
Mix

M3  10

M3  20

M3  30

M3  40

M3  50

Cement
Sand
Silica fume
Superplasticizer
Water
EPS beads (/3 = 6.3 mm)
p (%)
qconcrete (kg/m3)

839.40
685.99
251.88
7.24
213.22
2.16
12.7
2000

754.66
616.80
226.48
6.51
191.71
3.66
21.5
1800

669.91
547.62
201.07
5.78
170.21
5.16
30.3
1600

585.17
478.43
175.67
5.05
148.70
6.65
39.1
1400

500.42
409.24
150.26
4.32
127.20
8.15
47.9
1200

Fig. 2. The variation of EPS concrete modulus of elasticity with concrete (macro) porosity (p), for each EPS bead size.

the inclusion size (/), but depends only on the concrete (macro) porosity (p) and decreases with
increasing (p) (which is expected). Moreover, its variation with (p) seems to be linear (Fig. 2).

2.2. RVE for the EPS concrete compressive strength

To ensure that the representative volume element
(RVE) for the EPS concrete compressive strength is

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K. Miled et al. / Mechanics of Materials 39 (2007) 222240

already reached, it is necessary to verify if compressive tests results are aected or not by a volume
size eect, which is related to the specimen
size

D
(D) and more precisely to the ratio / . In fact, it
had been observed that the nominal compressive
strength (rN) (as well as the nominal tensile
strength) of quasi-brittle materials
like concrete

D
decreases when the ratio / increases (Kadlecek
and Spetla, 1967; Wu, 1991),
seems that
 andita

D
(rN) follows a power law rN / / ; a > 0 .
However, it had been proved numerically (Sab
and Laalai, 1993; Laalai and Sab, 1994) that a crit-

Fig. 3. Volume size eect.

ical specimen size (Dc) (i.e. a critical ratio D/c ) exists

beyond which the volume size eect vanishes and
the RVE will be reached (Fig. 3). That is why to separate the particle size eect problem of the specimen
size (D), compressive tests were carried out on
homothetic EPS concrete cylinders containing
homothetic EPS beads. Since the three EPS bead
sizes present a ratio of homothety of 2.5, only two
cylindrical specimen sizes having also a ratio of
homothety of 2.5 were considered: (44 88 mm)
(D1 = 44 mm) and (110 220 mm)
 (D
 2 =110
 mm)
D1
D2
(Fig. 4). Thus,
  it follows that: /1 /2 44

and D/21 D/32 17:6.

Compressive tests on the homothetic EPS concrete specimens containing 1 mm EPS beads have
given very similar
results
using cylinders of size


D
44 and of size (110 220 mm)
(44 88 mm)


/
D

110
(Fig.
5).
Thus, for 1 mm EPS beads con/
crete compressive strength, the RVE is already
reached with a specimen
  size of (44 88 mm) correD
sponding to a ratio
  / equal to 44. Therefore, it is
Dc
concluded that / 6 44.
However, with 2.5 mm EPS beads concretes, it
was observed a slight decrease (notably for high
porosity concretes) in compressive strengths

Fig. 4. (110 220 mm) and (44 88 mm) EPS concrete homothetic cylinders.

K. Miled et al. / Mechanics of Materials 39 (2007) 222240

Fig. 5. Normalized compressive strengths obtained with 1 mm EPS beads concrete homothetic cylinders

Fig. 6. Normalized compressive strengths obtained with 2.5 mm EPS beads concrete homothetic cylinders

obtained

 with specimens of size (110 220 mm)
D
44 , in comparison with those determined


/
from specimens of size (44 88 mm) D/ 17:6
(Fig. 6). Therefore, it is concluded that specimens

227

D
/

D
/

110 and

44 and

D
/

D
/


44 .


17:6 .

of size (110 220 mm) are representative for

2.5 mm EPS
 beads concrete compressive strength
D
since
44, whereas specimens of size
/
(44 88 mm) are not representative for 2.5 mm

228

K. Miled et al. / Mechanics of Materials 39 (2007) 222240

EPS beads concrete, and thus compressive strengths

determined from these specimens are aected by a
slight volume size eect. As a consequence, it is
most likely that the RVE is not yet reached with
(110 220 mm)
  specimens containing 6.3 mm EPS
beads since D/ 17:6, and thus compressive tests
results slightly overestimate the 6.3 mm EPS beads
concrete compressive strengths (notably those of
high porosity concretes).
2.3. Particle size eect
Results of compressive tests made on (110
220 mm) concrete

 cylinders containing 2.5 mm
D
EPS beads / 44 and on (44 88 mm)concrete

cylinders containing 1 mm EPS beads D/ 44
showed an increase in the normalized compressive
strength given by 1 mm EPS beads concrete in comparison with the one given by 2.5 mm EPS beads
concrete, for the same concrete (macro) porosity
(Fig. 7). For a concrete porosity of 0.23 for example, an increase of 29% was observed with 1 mm
EPS beads. However, this tendency becomes negligible for high porosity concretes.
Results of compressive tests made on (110
220 mm) concrete
cylinders
containing 6.3 mm


EPS beads D/ 17:6 and on (44 88 mm) concrete cylinders containing 2.5 mm EPS beads

D
/


17:6 conrmed the presence of a particle size

eect on the EPS concrete strength. In fact, for a

concrete porosity of 0.24 for example, there is an
increase of 30% in the normalized compressive
strength given by 2.5 mm EPS beads concrete in
comparison with the one given by 6.3 mm EPS
beads concrete (Fig. 8). However, recall that these
results are most likely
 aected by a slight volume
size eect since D/ 17:6, and thus they slightly
overestimate the compressive strengths of 2.5 mm
and 6.3 mm EPS beads concretes (notably those of
high porosity concretes).
Furthermore, since the RVE for the EPS concrete compressive strength is already reached with
specimens of size (110 220 mm) for 1 mm and
2.5 mm EPS beads concretes, and it is also nearly
reached for 6.3 mm EPS beads concrete (notably
for low porosity concretes where the particle size
eect is very important), compressive tests were carried out on (110 220 mm) EPS concrete cylinders
for each EPS bead size and each concrete porosity.
Results of these tests conrmed that the lower the
inclusion size (/), the greater the concrete normalized compressive strength, for the same (macro)
porosity (p) (Fig. 9). In fact, for a (macro) porosity
of 0.24, there is an increase of 60% in the normalized
compressive strength with 1 mm EPS beads concrete
in comparison with the one given by 6.3 mm EPS
beads concrete. For the same concrete porosity,

Fig. 7. Normalized compressive strengths obtained with 2.5 mm and 1 mm EPS beads concretes homothetic cylinders

D
/


44 .

K. Miled et al. / Mechanics of Materials 39 (2007) 222240

Fig. 8. Normalized compressive strengths obtained with 6.3 mm and 2.5 mm EPS beads concretes homothetic cylinders

229

D
/


17:6 .

Fig. 9. EPS concrete normalized compressive strengths obtained with (110 220 mm) cylinders for each EPS bead size, versus concrete
(macro) porosity (p).

there is also an increase of 18% with 1 mm EPS

beads concrete in comparison with 2.5 mm EPS
beads concrete and an increase of 35% with
2.5 mm EPS beads concrete in comparison with
6.3 mm EPS beads concrete. However, this tendency
decreases with increasing EPS concrete (macro)

porosity (p) and vanishes for very high porosities

(p P 0.5).
On the other hand, it was observed that the EPS
concrete failure mode depends greatly on its
(macro) porosity (p). In fact, for low porosity concretes exhibiting an important particle size eect, a

230

K. Miled et al. / Mechanics of Materials 39 (2007) 222240

Fig. 10. Longitudinal sections of two broken (110 220 mm) EPS concrete specimens characterized by low porosities, and containing
respectively 6.3 mm and 2.5 mm EPS beads: a quasi-brittle and localised failure.

quasi-brittle failure mode was observed which is

characterized by a few localised longitudinal splitting macro-cracks (Fig. 10). The latter are generally
initiated around EPS beads in zones where the maximum extension strain for the matrix is reached.
However, for very high porosity concretes exhibiting a negligible size eect, a ductile failure mode
was observed which is characterized by diuse
micro-cracks distributed in the whole mortar matrix
around EPS beads (Fig. 11). Moreover, specimens
were capable to retain load after failure without full
disintegration. Thus, it is concluded that the EPS

concrete particle size eect depends greatly on its

failure mode.
Based on the results of this experimental investigation, the presence of a particle size eect on the
EPS concrete compressive strength, which had
already been mentioned in literature, is conrmed.
Moreover, it is concluded that this scaling phenomenon related to the EPS bead size (/) depends also
on the EPS concrete (macro) porosity (p), since it
is very pronounced for low porosity concretes
and becomes negligible for very high porosity
concretes.

Fig. 11. Longitudinal sections of two broken (110 220 mm) EPS concrete specimens characterized by a high porosity, and containing
respectively 6.3 mm and 2.5 mm EPS beads: a ductile failure mode.

K. Miled et al. / Mechanics of Materials 39 (2007) 222240

3. Particle size eect explanation

3.1. A brief review of deterministic size eects in
materials and structures
Particle size eect had been observed rst in
metallic materials. In fact, Hall (1951) and Petch
(1953) seem to have been the rst to discover this
phenomenon when they had observed accidentally
that the yield stress (r) of a mono-crystalline mild
steel decreases when increasing its grains size (d).
Moreover, they had found that this tendency
follows a power law (r / da) with (a = 1/2).
Thereafter, it was observed that the strength of
polycrystalline metals and (particle/ber) reinforced
metal matrix composites also decreases with increasing grain or (particle/ber) size (Friedel, 1964; Kelly
and Lilholt, 1969; Fleck et al., 1994; Smyshlyaev
and Fleck, 1994; Lloyd, 1994; Stolken and Evans,
1998; Kouzeli and Mortensen, 2002; Haque and
Saif, 2003; Despois et al., 2004; Fivel, 2004). As it
was well explained by Arzt (1998) in his comparative review of size eects in materials, particle size
eects on metallic material properties emanate generally from the competition or coupling between
two dierent size dependencies through the interaction of two length scales; one is the dimension characteristic of the physical phenomenon involved,
denoted generally as the characteristic material
length. The other is some micro-structural dimension, denoted as the size parameter or the material length parameter.
Particle size eects had also been observed in
concrete-like materials. In fact, it was observed that
the compressive strength of normal weight concrete
decreases with increasing its aggregates maximum
size (Walker and Bloem, 1960; Cordon and Gillespie, 1963; Hobbs, 1972; Stock et al., 1979). However, this particle size eect is less pronounced
than the one observed on the EPS lightweight concrete compressive strength, which explains probably
the fact that it had aroused little interest in the
research community (de Larrard and Tondat,
1993), and that its physical origin is remained
unexplained.
In quasi-brittle materials like concrete, a large
fracture process zone (FPZ) exists in which stresses
are redistributed and energy dissipated. Thus, large
cracks can grow before reaching the maximum load.
As a consequence, structures made from these materials exhibit a deterministic size eect on their nominal strength which was brought to light by

231

Hillerborg et al. (1976). To account for this scaling

phenomenon, Bazant had derived from energy considerations and asymptotic matching techniques a
law which is applicable for geometrically similar
pre-cracked structures (Bazant, 1984; Bazant and
Pfeier, 1987):
 
Bft
L
rN p with b
;
1
L0
1b
where (rN) is the nominal stress at failure of a structure of size L, B is a parameter depending on the
structure geometry, ft is the material tensile strength
and L0 is a characteristic material length related to
the width lc of the FPZ.
 The parameter b corresponding to the ratio LL0 is denoted: brittleness
number. From formula (1), it is clear that the
greater b, the more brittle the structure failure.
Moreover, formula (1) reduces to the linear fracture
mechanics as b ! 1. Thereafter, this law had been
improved by Bazant to account for the size eect on
initially non-cracked structures (Bazant, 1996).
Karihaloo et al. (2006) have recently proposed
the following deterministic size eect law for
notched quasi-brittle structures (which generalizes
and improves the one proposed by the rst author
in 1999 (Karihaloo, 1999), which is based on the ctious crack model (FCM) originated by Hillerborg
et al., 1976):

1=2

1
rN
L=lc
D1 L
L=lc
D1 1

1
;
D2
D3
ft
2D2 lc
2
where D1, D2 and D3 are coecients to be determined experimentally. From formula
clear
 (2), it is 
1 D3
that (rN ! D1) as (L ! 0) and rN ! D2D
as
2
(L ! 1). In other words, the structure nominal
strength (rN) attains nite asymptotic values at both
size extremes. Moreover, Karihaloo et al. (2006)
have proved experimentally and theoretically that
the deterministic structural size eect becomes
stronger as the size of the crack increases relative
to the size of the structure but weakens as the size
of the crack reduces.
Finally, other structural size eect laws for concrete-like materials have been proposed by Carpinteri and his co-workers in the last decade based on
multi-scale fractal analysis (Carpinteri, 1994; Carpinteri and Chiaia, 1997). Moreover, Carpinteri
and Pugno (2005) have recently proposed simple
analytical laws to predict the strength of structures

232

K. Miled et al. / Mechanics of Materials 39 (2007) 222240

containing re-entrant corners, with generalized

stress-singularity powers dierent from (1/2).
3.2. EPS concrete compressive failure analysis
On the basis of the failure modes observed experimentally, it is stipulated that the EPS concrete
failure occurs in two phases: a rst phase of
micro-crack initiation, which can be seen as the
end of the elastic linear response of EPS concrete
under a compressive loading. This phase is assumed
to be governed only by the concrete (macro) porosity (p), since it was observed experimentally that
there is no particle size eect on the EPS concrete
modulus of elasticity. Then, a second phase of
micro-cracking (and/or) macro-crack propagation
is entered, where one of these two failure modes
or both modes can occur. In fact, during this second
phase, micro-cracks appear rst in rather diuse
way within the EPS concrete matrix fracture process
zone (FPZ) and then coalescence of these microcracks occurs to form macro-cracks, which can
grow in a stable way before reaching the maximum
load (as it is the case in quasi-brittle materials like
concrete). However, for very high porosity EPS
concretes, coalescence of micro-cracks seems to
not take place since it was observed that failure
occurs by progressive diuse micro-cracking within
the whole matrix around EPS beads. Based on
these assumptions, it is concluded that the particle
size eect observed on the EPS concrete compressive strength emanates from the second phase of
micro-cracking (and/or) macro-crack propagation
through the competition between these two failure
modes. Thus, it is assumed that the size eect is governed by the competition between two length scales.
The rst is a characteristic material length lc governing the rst failure mode of micro-cracking, whereas
the second is a geometric length lg(p, /) governing
the second failure mode of macro-crack propagation and depending on the concrete (macro) porosity (p) and on the EPS bead size (/). Consequently,
the EPS concrete second

failure phase will be govl p;/
erned by the ratio g lc . Furthermore,
it will be

lg p;/
assumed that the greater
, the more brittle
lc
the concrete failure mode and thus the greater the
decrease in its compressive strength with reference
to the strength of its matrix. That is why this ratio
is denoted brittleness mesoscopic number and
written bm analogous to the brittleness number
b proposed by Bazant (Bazant, 1984; Bazant and

Pfeier, 1987) in his structural size eect analysis.

Thus, the EPS concrete normalized compressive
strength, for a given (p) and (/), will be expressed
as:
rp; /
ad
rinit
N p rN p; bm ;
rmatrix

where rinit
N p represents the normalized stress required to initiate the rst micro-crack for a given
concrete (macro) porosity (p), whereas rad
N p; bm
represents the normalized additional stress required
for the second phase of micro-cracking (and/or)
macro-crack propagation.
3.3. The mesoscopic brittleness number bm
To determine bm, it is necessary to identify the
geometric length lg(p, /) and the characteristic material length lc. The latter is naturally identied as the
width of the EPS concrete matrix FPZ, which is
apparently related to the maximum size lm of the
matrix heterogeneities. Moreover, since for concrete
structures, the FPZ width is often equal to three
times the maximum size of material inhomogeneities
(Pijaudier-Cabot and Bazant, 1987), the EPS concrete characteristic material length lc, at the mesoscopic scale, has also been xed at three times the
maximum size lm of the mortar matrix heterogeneities. The latter corresponds here to the maximum
size of sand grains which has been identied owing
to SEM observations and xed at 0.25 mm. Thus, lc
is xed at 0.75 mm.
The geometric length lg is a dimension characterizing the EPS concrete micro-structure. It depends
on the EPS bead size (/) and varies also with the
concrete (macro) porosity (p). Since lg(p, /) governs
the second failure phase of micro-cracking (and/or)
macro-crack propagation, it is assumed that lg(p, /)
controls the size of these micro-cracks and macrocracks. For very low porosities (p ! 0), the EPS
concrete micro-structure is characterized by a few
very largely spaced EPS beads embedded in the
matrix (Fig. 12). In this case, it was observed that
failure occurs by propagation of a few localised longitudinal splitting macro-cracks initiating from EPS
beads. Therefore, it is stipulated that the size of
these macro-cracks is governed by the EPS bead size
(/), and thus lg(0+, /) = limp ! 0lg(p, /) = /.
However, for very high porosity concretes which
failure occurs by progressive diuse micro-cracking
within the whole matrix around EPS beads, it is
stipulated that the size of micro-cracks is controlled

K. Miled et al. / Mechanics of Materials 39 (2007) 222240

233

cubic (FCC) arrangement of mono-sized spheres,

that is: pmax = 0.74.
Finally, for intermediate concrete porosities
(0 < p 6 pmax), it is assumed that lg(p, /) is ranging
between (/) and e(p, /). That is why it has been
approached for all porosities as:

Fig. 12. The geometric length lg(p, /) for very low and very high
porosity EPS concretes.

lg p; / /  l~g p 0 < p 6 pmax

5


  2
p
p
p
5
~
with lg p p  1 3 p
p 1 .
max
max
max
In fact, the non-dimensional function l~g p has
been approached by a third-degree polynomial
(Fig. 13) with respect to the following conditions:
dl~g p
~
~
limp!0

 lg p 1, lg pmax 0, limp!0 dp 0 and
dl~g
dp

by the average EPS beads spacing e(p, /) which

depends on (/) and (p). Thus, the geometric length
lg(p, /) for very high porosity concretes has been
identied as this average beads spacing which had
been estimated by de Larrard and Tondat (1993)
as:
!

1=3
pmax
ep; / / 
1 ;
4
p
where pmax is the maximum packing density of an
ordered mixture with mono-sized spheres, which
corresponds to the packing density of a face-centred

de
pmax dp
pmax 3p1 . Thus, the brittlemax
ness mesoscopic number bm will be given by the following formula:
 
/ ~
bm
6
lg p:
lc

3.4. Asymptotic analysis of EPS concrete particle size

eect
To determine the law governing the EPS concrete
particle size eect, an asymptotic analysis corresponding to the cases (bm 6 1) and (bm ! 1) has
been conducted.

Fig. 13. The variation of the non-dimensional geometric length l~g p with EPS concrete (macro) porosity (p).

234

K. Miled et al. / Mechanics of Materials 39 (2007) 222240

When (bm 6 1), it is concluded that the EPS concrete particle size eect vanishes. In fact, for very
high porosity concretes (p ! pmax) and for a given
inclusion size (/), there is a porosity (p*) for which
the geometric length lg(p*, /) (corresponding in this
case to the average EPS beads spacing e(p*, /))
becomes smaller than the characteristic material
length lc (corresponding to the matrix FPZ width).
Consequently, micro-cracks appear progressively
in a diuse way within the matrix FPZ which width
will be forced to not exceed the EPS beads spacing.
Thus, the FPZ at failure will cover the whole mortar
matrix which explains the ductile failure mode
observed experimentally for very high porosity concretes and the absence of particle size eect in this
case. Further, for very low porosity concretes
(p ! 0) when the geometric length lg(0+, /) (corresponding in this case to the EPS bead size /) will
be in the same range of the matrix heterogeneities
maximum size lm, the material can be considered
as size-homogeneous at the microscopic scale, and
thus it does not exhibit a particle size eect on its
compressive strength. That is why it is concluded
that when (lg(p, /) 6 lc), there is no particle size
eect on the EPS concrete compressive strength.
In this case, the normalized additional stress
rad
N p; bm , required for the EPS concrete second
failure phase of micro-cracking (and/or) macrocrack propagation, attains its maximum value and
thus the  EPS concrete normalized compressive
strength

rp;/
rmatrix

will be given by an upper bound

denoted g0(p), which depends only on the concrete

(macro) porosity (p).
When (bm ! 1), it is assumed that the EPS concrete failure mode becomes brittle. In fact, when the
geometric length lg(p, /) becomes very large in comparison with the characteristic material length lc, the
energy dissipated in the FPZ by micro-cracking
becomes negligible in comparison with the material
fracture energy needed for crack propagation, and
thus the EPS concrete failure occurs as soon as
the rst initiated micro-crack becomes a macrocrack propagating in an unstable way. In this case,
the normalized additional stress rad
N p; bm required
here mainly for the macro-crack propagation tends
asymptotically to zero as (bm ! 1). Consequently,
the particle size eect vanishes and the
 normalized

EPS concrete compressive strength rrp;/
will be
matrix
given by a lower bound denoted g1(p), which is
identied to the normalized stress rinit
N p required
to initiate the rst micro-crack.

4. Particle size eect model

Based on the asymptotic analysis, it is concluded


,
that the EPS concrete normalized strength rrp;/
matrix
for a given (macro) porosity (p), is ranging between
the lower bound g1(p) (bm ! 1) and the upper
bound g0(p) (bm 6 1). Thus, the following phenomenological size eect model is proposed to predict
the EPS concrete normalized strength according to
the EPS bead size (/) and to the concrete (macro)
porosity (p):
8
if bm 6 1;
> g0 p
rp; / <
g|{z}
1 p fbm g0 p  g1 p if bm P 1;
|{z}
rmatrix >
: init
ad
rN

rN

7
where f(bm) is the EPS concrete particle size eect
law. This law is ranging between 1 when (bm 6 1)
and zero when (bm ! 1). The expressions of
g0(p), g1(p) and f(bm) have been determined based
on the experimental results and on theoretical and
numerical calculations.
4.1. The upper bound g0(p)
This function must tend to 1 close to zero porosity, that is: limp!0g0(p) = 1. In other words, the EPS
concrete strength must tend to its mortar matrix
strength. However, this function is minimal for
(p = pmax). In this case, it is assumed that there is
percolation of EPS beads and thus the material is
supposed to loose completely its strength, that is:
g0(pmax) = 0. An hyperbolic function has been considered to approach g0(p), with respect to the two
previous conditions. This form had already been
used by Le Roy et al. (2005) in their EPS concrete
compressive strength modelling:


c0 1  p p
max
 0 6 p 6 pmax ;
g0 p 
8
p
c0 p
max

where c0 is a tting coecient. The latter has been

identied based on the experimental results obtained with (110 220 mm) EPS concretes specimens for very high porosities (0.5 6 p 6 0.66),2
2
Normalized compressive strengths, obtained with EPS concretes having (macro) porosities ranging from 0.4 to 0.66 and
represented with full forms in Fig. 14, result from the experimental investigation made by Parant and Le Roy (Parant and Le
Roy, 1999; Le Roy et al., 2005).

K. Miled et al. / Mechanics of Materials 39 (2007) 222240

235

Fig. 14. The upper bound g0 versus EPS concrete (macro) porosity (p).

where the particle size eect vanishes and the EPS

concrete normalized strength will be given by g0(p)
(Fig. 14). Therefore, c0 has been xed at 0.45.
4.2. The lower bound g1(p)
This function gives for a given concrete (macro)
porosity (p) the EPS concrete normalized compressive strength when its failure is brittle, i.e. at the
beginning of the rst failure phase of micro-crack
initiation. It is assumed to be equal to zero for
(p = pmax). An hyperbolic function has also been
considered (of the same form as g0(p)) to approach
g1(p):


c1 1  p p
max
 0 < p 6 pmax ;
9
g1 p 
p
d1 p
max

where c1 and d1 are two tting coecients. To

identify these coecients, the behaviour of g1(p)
close to zero porosity has been investigated. In fact,
the theoretical case of a single spherical void (a cavity) embedded in an innite 3D elastic-brittle medium subjected to a uniform compressive stress R1
at innity has been considered (Fig. 15). Moreover,
since the failure mechanism observed experimentally is a tensile failure mode characterized by longitudinal splitting cracks starting from EPS beads, it

Fig. 15. A spherical void embedded in an innite (3D) elasticbrittle matrix subjected to a uniform compressive stress R1 at
innity.

is concluded that the initiation of these cracks is

due mainly to a maximum extension strain reached
around EPS beads (Miled et al., 2004). Therefore,
the brittle failure criterion is expressed as:

236

K. Miled et al. / Mechanics of Materials 39 (2007) 222240

cr
max
M Mmatrix ;

10

where cr
Mmatrix is the critical extension strain supported by the 3D innite homogeneous matrix.
Thus, to determine the EPS concrete normalized
strength, it is necessary to compute for the same
compressive loading R1 the maximum elastic extension strain in the matrix Mmatrix and also in the innite medium around the spherical void max
M . In fact,
for a unit compressive loading (R1 = 1) for example, it follows that:
lim g1 p
p!0

Mmatrix
:
max
M

11

To compute the elastic extension strain M, the

equivalent elastic extension deformation proposed
by Mazars (1984) has been considered, which is expressed as:
v
u 3
uX
12
M t max0; i 2 ;
i1

where i, i = 1    3 are the principal strains. It follows from (12) that:


p
R1
Mmatrix 2mm
;
13
Em
where Em is the matrix modulus of elasticity and mm
is the matrix Poisson coecient.
The maximum elastic extension strain in the 3D
innite medium around the void max
M is given by:
q
14

x A2 z A2 ;
max
M
where x(A) and z(A) are extension deformations at
point A around the hole (which are respectively
equal to x(B) and z(B) at point B (Fig. 15)). These
deformations had already been derived analytically
by Southwell and Gough (Southwell and Gough,
1926; Wang and Shrive, 1999):


31 4mm  5m2m R1
x A z A
:
15
14  10mm
Em
Thus,
max
M

p


3 21 4mm  5m2m R1

:
14  10mm
Em

16

The normalized compressive strength of the 3D

innite brittle medium containing a spherical void

depends so only on the matrix Poisson coecient

mm and it is expressed analytically as:
lim g1 p
p!0

mm 14  10mm
:
31 4mm  5m2m

17

Thus, for mm = 0.2 it follows that:

lim g1 p 0:5:
p!0

18

There is so a great drop in the EPS concrete strength

with reference to the matrix strength close to zero
porosity.
Thereafter, to approach the slope value of g1(p)
when (p ! 0), compressive tests have been simulated on periodic body-centred cubic (BCC) lattices
containing sphericalpholes (of a maximum packing
density pmax of p 8 3, that is: pmax 0:68). Two
porosities nearby 0 have been considered:
p1 = 5 1004 and p2 = 1003. 3D nite element
(FE) calculations using the FE code CASTEM2000
have been carried out on (1/8) of BCC lattices unit
cells (making use of the cell symmetries). Moreover,
an elastic-brittle model has been considered for the
matrix with the same failure criterion used for the
3D innite medium containing the spherical void.
Uniaxial compressive tests have been simulated
where periodic conditions have been applied on
the mesh boundary faces (Miled, 2005). For a unit
compressive stress loading (R = 1) for example,
it follows that:
Mmatrix
19
max
M p
p   p2m
with Mmatrix 2mm R
Emm . For these calculaEm
tions, Em can take any arbitrary value since the EPS
concrete normalized strength depends only on mm
(equal here to 0.2), when the concrete failure is brittle. Moreover, to compute max
M in the 3D BCC lattice unit cell, a mesh renement around the hole
has been performed with a view to obtaining accurate results and ensuring their mesh independency
(Fig. 16). The following results have been obtained:
g1(5 1004) = 0.477 and g1(1003) = 0.460. Thus,
the slope value of g1(p) close to zero porosity has
been approached by a linear regression of these results and also of the analytical result obtained for
(p ! 0). That is:
lim g1 p
p!0

lim
p!0

dg1 p
40:
dp

20

From (18) and (20), it follows that c1 = 8.59

1003 and d1 = 1.72 1002 = 2c1.

K. Miled et al. / Mechanics of Materials 39 (2007) 222240

237

Fig. 16. Distribution of the elastic extension strain M in the (1/8) of a BCC lattice unit cell having a porosity p1 = 5 1004: the maximum
is reached around the hole.

4.3. The particle size eect law f(bm)

4.4. An overview of the proposed model

When (bm > 1), a power law of bm has been proposed to predict the particle size eect on the EPS
concrete compressive strength:

The phenomenological particle size eect model

proposed to predict the EPS concrete normalized
strength according to its (macro) porosity (p) and
to the EPS bead size (/) will be expressed as:

fbm bm a ;

21

where the power a is xed at (1/3) by tting the

experimental normalized compressive strengths obtained with (110 220 mm) specimens for the three
EPS bead sizes concretes.

rp; /

rmatrix

g0 p

if bm 6 1;

g1 p bm 1=3 g0 p  g1 p

if bm P 1;

with

Fig. 17. The model predictions for the three EPS bead sizes concretes considered in the experimental investigation.

238

K. Miled et al. / Mechanics of Materials 39 (2007) 222240

Fig. 18. Comparison between the model predictions and the experimental normalized compressive strengths obtained with
(110 220 mm) specimens for the three EPS bead sizes concretes.



0:45 1  p p
max
 ;
g0 p 
p
0:45 p
max


1  pp
max
 and
g1 p 
2 1 58:14 p p
max
!
 
 
2
/
p
5
p
p
1

1 ;
bm
lc
pmax
3 pmax
pmax
pmax 0:74
Fig. 17 shows the model predictions for 1 mm,
2.5 mm and 6.3 mm EPS beads concretes. It is so
clear that for a given (p) and (/), the size eect
model is governed by the matrix FPZ width lc. This
characteristic material length is assumed here to be
equal to three times the matrix heterogeneities maximum size lm. Moreover, to optimize the EPS concrete compressive strength (i.e. to attain the upper
bound g0), it will be recommended based on this
model to use an heterogeneous mortar matrix of
heterogeneities maximum size which must be in
the same range of that of EPS beads.
Finally, the model predictions have been compared with the normalized compressive strengths
obtained with (110 220 mm) specimens for the

three EPS bead sizes concretes considered in the

experimental investigation. The particle size eect
model reproduces in a very satisfactory manner the
experimental results given by 1 mm and 2.5 mm
EPS beads concretes which are not aected by a volume size eect. Furthermore, the model predictions
take into account the slight volume size eect
observed on the normalized strengths obtained with
(110 220 mm) specimens and 6.3 mm EPS bead
size, since they slightly underestimate these experimental results (Fig. 18).
5. Conclusions
An experimental investigation was conducted on
three EPS lightweight concretes having (macro)
porosities ranging from 10% to 50% and containing
three EPS bead sizes, with a view to conrming the
presence of an intrinsic particle size eect on the
EPS concrete compressive strength which had
already been mentioned in literature. Moreover, to
separate the size eect problem of the specimen size
(D), compressive tests were carried out on homothetic EPS concrete specimens containing homothetic EPS beads. Results of these tests showed
that strengths obtained
with

 homothetic specimens
having a ratio

D
/

P 44

are not aected by a

K. Miled et al. / Mechanics of Materials 39 (2007) 222240

volume size eect. Therefore, it is concluded that for

1 mm and 2.5 mm EPS beads concretes, the RVE
for the EPS concrete compressive strength is already
reached with a specimen size of (110 220 mm).
However, it is concluded that results of compressive
tests obtained with 6.3 mm EPS beads concrete
specimens of size (110 220 mm) slightly overestimate the 6.3 mm EPS beads concrete compressive
strengths,since the RVE is not yet reached for

D
17:6 .
/
On the other hand, compressive tests results conrmed the presence of a particle size eect on the
EPS concrete compressive strength since it was
observed that the lower the EPS bead size (/), the
greater the concrete compressive strength, for the
same concrete (macro) porosity (p). Moreover, it
was observed that this particle size eect is very pronounced for low porosity concretes which failure
mode is quasi-brittle, whereas it becomes negligible
for very high porosity concretes which failure mode
is more ductile.
On the basis of the analysis of EPS concrete failure modes observed experimentally, it is assumed
that the EPS concrete failure occurs in two phases:
a rst phase of micro-crack initiation governed by
the concrete (macro) porosity (p), followed by a second phase of micro-cracking (and/or) macro-crack
propagation where one of these two failure modes
or both modes can occur. As a consequence, it is
concluded that the particle size eect on the EPS
concrete compressive strength emanates from the
second phase of micro-cracking (and/or) macrocrack propagation through the competition between
these two failure modes. Thus, it is stipulated that
the size eect is governed by the competition
between two length scales: a characteristic material
length lc which governs the rst failure mode and
a geometric length lg(p, /) which governs the second
failure mode and depends on the concrete (macro)
porosity (p) and on the EPS bead size (/). Therefore, the EPS concrete particle
 size eect will be
l p;/
governed by the ratio g lc
denoted brittleness
mesoscopic number bm (analogous to the brittleness number b proposed by Bazant in his structural size eect analysis), and thus it is assumed
that the greater bm, the more brittle the concrete
failure mode. The brittleness mesoscopic number
bm has been then identied. The characteristic material length lc is identied as the width of the EPS
concrete matrix fracture process zone (FPZ) which
has been xed at three times the mortar matrix het-

239

erogeneities maximum size, whereas the geometric

length lg(p, /) has been approached by a function
ranging between the EPS bead size (/) for very
low porosity concretes and the average EPS beads
spacing e(p, /) for very high porosity concretes.
Thereafter, based on an asymptotic analysis, a
phenomenological particle size eect model has
been proposed to predict the EPS concrete normalized strength. In fact, it is stipulated that the EPS
concrete normalized strength, for a given (macro)
porosity (p), is ranging between a lower bound
g1(p) as (bm ! 1) corresponding to a brittle failure
mode, and an upper bound g0(p) when (bm 6 1) corresponding to a ductile failure mode.
The lower bound g1(p) has been approached
mainly based on theoretical and numerical calculations of the behaviour of g1(p) close to zero porosity.
The upper bound g0(p) has been identied by tting the experimental normalized compressive
strengths obtained with (110 220 mm) specimens
for very high porosity concretes, where the size
eect vanishes.
A power size eect law of bm has been proposed
to ensure the transition from g0(p) to g1(p) when
(bm > 1). The power of this scaling law is xed at
(1/3) by tting the experimental results.
Eventually, the model predictions have been
compared with experimental results, showing a
good agreement.
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