Filling in for traditional fill materials EPS geofoam blocks offer one additional advantage: uniformity. This is not the case with soil and other fill materials, whose variable, inconsistent compositions can lead to non-uniform load transfer and differential settlement. This type of settlement can cause dangerous, uneven structure settling and lead to further damage. On the other hand, EPS geofoam uniquely disburses or spreads the load out across a wide area, minimizing post-construction settling and creating a more stable foundation. As Kris Essex, Territory Sales Manager for Insulfoam in Colorado explains, “(EPS) geofoam is a stable compound right away, as you can engineer the right density. There’s settlement compaction with soil, and there’s not time for that when the main U.S. 36 thoroughfare closed down.” According to the EPS Industry Alliance, EPS geofoam’s lighter load decreases stress, while sidestepping deformation-related construction problems. Or, as CDOT put it, “since geofoam is lightweight, it re- duces pressure and stress to the underlying soil.” With a closed-cell structure, EPS geofoam dries quickly compared with other fill materials. As a result, little, if any, weight gain is expected. These structural benefits made it the best solution for the U.S. 36 engi- neers and the ability to complete the project on time made geofoam the best solution for the project’s managers. Filling in the timeline The CDOT and the project’s engineering team created an aggressive timeline to restore all lanes of travel. In order to meet that deadline and get the road re-opened, the project’s EPS geofoam manufacturer utilized six multi-operational plants in Colorado, Nebraska, Arizona, Florida, Washington, and California to produce and ship the blocks. Matt Hogan, project manager for the roadway contractor Kraemer North America, further explains, with EPS “geofoam, we could fab- ricate quickly and not need all the deep foundation work to support the load of the new wall system. Being able to use six different plants across the country helped. We were able to find the fastest producer to be able to meet the needs of this particular project.” Being able to quickly transport and install the EPS geofoam blocks meant that the blocks could be manufactured and delivered within 20 days. Photo: Insulfoam
Pulling together the large-scale, multi-site effort was necessary to meet CDOT’s aggressive re-opening deadline. Additional time-savings came from the manufacturer’s ability to create 40" x 48" x 96" cus- tomized EPS geofoam to meet CDOT’s exact requirements. These large block sizes saved crucial time and labor on the Colorado jobsite. What’s more, should a block’s dimensions need to be adjusted for any reason, road building teams can quickly and easily cut EPS geofoam to the proper size with hot wire tooling or saws. EPS geofoam further saves construction schedules by taking surcharging and preloading out of the equation, freeing crews up to focus on other tasks. For Hogan and his team, the ease of installation was particularly noteworthy. “The nice part is being able to train people very quickly, because it’s literally stacking blocks. We’re able to slide the foam right into place, (add) a little bit of detail on the edges, (identify) out-of-line blocks and slide them into place. Once you get the material up on top of that foam, it slides relatively easy, and it’s able to go right in.” Hogan said. We “couldn’t be happier with the simplicity of how to install the foam.” In addition to the short-term benefits of time and cost savings, CDOT will see long-term value as well. Geofoam is a low-maintenance so- lution and will require minimal service throughout the fill system’s lifespan. For the CDOT and other engineers that are seeking a durable infill solution that can quickly fit a project’s needs, EPS geofoam is an ideal solution. Crews on the construction site were able to move the large 40” x 48" x 96" EPS geofoam blocks and fit them into place using hand tools. The large block sizes saved crucial time on the crucial project. Photo: Insulfoam
TOM SAVOY is the technical director for Insulfoam, a division of Carlisle Con- struction Materials. He has worked in the EPS Industry for 33 years and in construction materials (manufacturing and testing) for 38 years. Tom actively participates in many trade organizations including ASTM, SPRI and EPS IA. He can be reached at tom.savoy@insulfoam.com.
44
csengineermag.com
may 2020
Made with FlippingBook Annual report