The uses of Geofoam have been proven and the applications of use are expanding. Hurricane Sandy left behind washed away roads and unstable soil conditions. Will engineers be turning to the properties of Geofoam to solve the geotechnical problems in the reconstruction efforts?

The following report is another successful project located in St. Louis, Missouri.

The removal of a train tunnel that was built in the 1930s left a void under Tucker Boulevard in St. Louis, Missouri. Engineers turned to Geofoam as the answer to fill the void. While working with existing conditions, an adjoining basement wall would not have supported earth fill. Geofoam on the other hand is lightweight, predictable and reliable.

Kurt Muelhler from Gershenson Construction Company stated, “The installation is actually simple and quick.” Geofoam saves time and money. When completed, this MODOT federally funded stimulus project will tie St. Louis to the Mississippi River Bridge to Illinois. The new Tucker Boulevard will not only become a major thoroughfare through the heart of downtown – it will become an easy destination.

Government projects are turning to expanded polystyrene to solve geotechnical challenges and to save money. Geofoam is a soil substitute that is 100 times lighter than soil or other foundation materials, but retains exceptional compressive strength. It is lightweight and easily handled at job sites. This makes it easier to work with in all applications, especially when working with existing conditions.

To date, EPS Geofoam has been used in a multitude of projects across the United States. Insulation Company of America’s Geofoam government projects include the New Jersey Turnpike Project and the PennDOT Road Project in Cranberry Township, PA. ICA supplied the foam for the New Jersey Turnpike Authority project which needed to limit the amount of soil pressure on the adjacent electrical tower. Lightweight Geofoam and fill were used to stabilize the precast wall and back-fill. ICA’s Geofoam blocks were also used as a soil substitute for stability and cost effectiveness in the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s first statewide Geofoam project. It was the solution for a problem area that in the past had continually washed away, closing the road for periods of time.

Perhaps it is a solution for many of the roads that were washed away by Hurricane Sandy. ICA is centrally located around the areas devastated by this storm. For more information about our foam products please call us at 610-791-4200.

To view more successful Geofoam projects please visit our BLOG PAGE.

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This article was posted on January 11, 2013, by Insulation Corporation of America (ICA) – a Women-Owned manufacturer of Geofoam and Expanded Polystyrene (EPS), which is commonly but mistakenly referred to as Styrofoam™. ICA is located in Allentown, PA and services the entire Mid-Atlantic Region from Virginia to Maine to Ohio.