Use of expanded polystyrene in developing solid brick masonry units

•Production of lightweight mortar and solid brick units was investigated.•The use of EPS is effective in reducing the dry density of mixtures.•Increasing the EPS reduces the modulus of elasticity, comp. and tensile strength.•The proposed solid EPS bricks are acceptable for non-loadbearing application.•Incorporating EPS improves the thermal properties of the EPS solid brick. This paper presents the results of an experimental program aimed at using expanded polystyrene (EPS) wastes in developing lightweight mortar and masonry solid brick units of adequate mechanical and thermal characteristics for use in building and construction applications. Five dosages of EPS were used to partially substitute the sand in the mix, namely; 0, 10, 15, 20 and 26 kg/m3. The results showed that the density, compressive strength, tensile strength, static modulus of elasticity, and coefficient of thermal conductivity decrease with the increase of the EPS dosage in the mix. The results showed also that the proposed EPS solid bricks possess adequate strength for non-loadbearing applications have superior thermal properties.