Lightweight cementitious product and method for making same

A method for preparing a lightweight cementitious product comprising the steps of:

• heating virgin polystyrene beads until the beads fuse together to form molded polystyrene material;
• cooling and drying the molded polystyrene material;
• subjecting the molded polystyrene material to a fracturing force so as to form a polystyrene particle mixture consisting essentially of reclaimed polystyrene beads having a compact, substantially curved surface which is interrupted by at least one discontinuously projecting section, the reclaimed polystyrene beads having an average radius of curvature exceeding the average radius of curvature of the virgin polystyrene beads;
• forming an aqueous cementitious mixture,
• dispersing an effective amount of polystyrene particle mixture into the aqueous cementitious mixture to form a resulting cementitious mixture;
• placing the resulting cementitious mixture in a mold having a cavity of a desired configuration;
• compressing the resulting cementitious mixture in the mold to reduce the volume of the resulting cementitious mixture an effective amount while minimizing the amount of water exuding from the resulting cementitious mixture;
• and
• maintaining the resulting cementitious mixture in a compressed state for a period of time effective to allow the resulting cementitious mixture to set in the compressed state and form the lightweight cementitious product.