The construction industry has been revolutionized by the highly flexible and reliable construction material that is referred to as Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) Geofoam. We would like to tell you why EPS Geofoam is so important to construction, and specifically, how it helps to reduce lateral loads on retaining walls.
What Is EPS Geofoam?
EPS geofoam is a lightweight, rigid, and engineered filling material that is composed of Expanded Polystyrene, which is also referred to as EPS.
As a filling material, the main benefit of EPS geofoam is its weight. It is approximately 100 times less heavy than soil; EPS geofoam is a about ten percent the mass of water and around one to two percent the mass of soil.
EPS Geofoam maintains a very predictable level of compressive strength, and this makes it ideal for numerous structural applications.
How and Why Does EPS Geofoam Reduce Lateral Loads on Retaining Walls?
A retaining wall is a structure that serves
to retain or hold soil. A few examples of materials that are utilized in the
construction of retaining wall would be boulders, crushed rock, soil sand or
concrete.
The main issue with the use of these
traditional construction materials is that they tend to be on the heavier side,
and therefore are much more difficult to construct things with these materials,
in terms of time, resources, and manual labor efforts.
EPS geofoam is a fantastic, lightweight substitute for A fantastic, lightweight substitute
for traditional retaining wall materials, which usually weigh approximately 100
times more than blocks of EPS geofoam.
The
lower weight of Geofoam allows construction
workers to effortlessly work on and build retaining walls that are segmental in
shape, in a way that is quicker and more efficient. The expanded polystyrene
material itself possesses a high resistance to compression, which makes this
material highly suitable for ensuring that surrounding soil and structures are
held in their rightful places.
Another
benefit of EPS geofoam is its resistance to
water absorption. EPS geofoam is a closed-cell material, and it will not decompose,
leach into the ground, or rot over extended periods of time. This makes the
material highly unaffected to the wear and tear that may be caused by moisture
over time. In addition, EPS geofoam can offer
great levels of stability. Utilizing an EPS geofoam filling
in a retaining wall will ensure lowered levels of lateral pressure, and it will
also prevent any kind of settlement.
Most
construction teams will instate a system for drainage underneath the geofoam for the prevention of any buoyancy or
hydrostatic pressure.
Poly Molding specializes in the supply of Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) products like Geofoam that are utilized in a wide range of industries and sectors and can advise you on the best way to incorporate this eco-friendly, lightweight, and inexpensive insulation material into your project. Please contact us at Info@polymoldingllc.com for more information.
Contact us at (800) 229-7161 or (973) 835-7161.
