Moisture promotes the growth of many organisms such as mold, mildew, fungi and other bacteria. Expanded polystyrene (EPS) is a rigid and tough, closed-cell foam. It is used for the … Plus, EPS foam insulation can be fabricated to size or cut into any configuration to fit a specific project’s needs. EPS geofoam’s strength is even more amazing considering it is so lightweight. A permeance or “perm” rating is a standard measure of the water vapor permeability of a material. Building and construction applications account for around two-thirds of demand for expanded polystyrene. Now, EPS is a powerful design element and an ideal choice for green building design, offering tangible environmental advantages that can maximize energy efficiency, providing improved indoor environmental quality and enhancing durability. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, EPS foam board provides up to two times more thermal resistance than most other insulating materials of the same thickness. Unlike the R-value, in which the higher the number, the better, a material with a lower perm rating is better at retarding movement of water vapor. Moisture promotes the growth of many organisms such as mold, mildew, fungi and other bacteria. Ability to inhibit growth of biological air contaminants. Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) is the generic industry name for the white rigid material made by expanding polystyrene beads with steam and pressure to bond the beads together to form blocks or to shape molds. Cost. Getting the maximum performance for the dollar is paramount in the competitive arena of the construction industry. The R-value of EPS geofoam insulation remains constant because the closed-cell structure of EPS geofoam contains only stabilized air. Firstly, expanded polystyrene has qualities essential to engineering and construction … Standard-sized EPS foam insulation is available in multiple sizes up to 36-inches thick and 16-feet long or larger. These building panels are often used both as load bearing also as non-load … No gases are included. The conversion of expandable polystyrene to expanded polystyrene is carried out in three stages: Pre-expansion, Maturing/Stabilization and Molding Polystyrene is produced from the crude oil refinery product styrene. For example, the cost of using a higher strength insulation than the specs call for, say a 100 psi XPS product versus a 40 psi EPS product, can almost double your material costs. Light Weight Comprised of about 98 percent air, expanded polystyrene … Expanded polystyrene (EPS) is a rigid and light weight insulation material with various properties such as shock absorption, resistance to humidity, resistance to compression, retention to vitamin C, hygienic, … With a wide range of compressive resistance strengths to choose from, it’s easy to find a solution for most every project. After 15 years, both EPS and XPS were removed and tested using the ASTM C1512 test (Standard Test Method for Characterizing the Effect of Exposure to Environmental Cycling on Thermal Performance of Insulation Products). EPS geofoam’s strength is even more amazing considering it is so lightweight. A material’s ability to not only resist moisture but to readily release any moisture it does absorb, referred to as “drying potential,” is also an important factor to consider in an insulation material. In fact, several different types of EPS geofoam can be specified on a single project to maximize savings. The long-term performance advantages of EPS insulation correlate directly to increased energy efficiency and reduced energy costs over the life of the building. EPS geofoam is 100% recyclable and can be reheated and reformed indefinitely. It is usually white and made of pre-expanded polystyrene beads. Expanded polystyrene (EPS) can also be made out of recycled polystyrene. It has an incredibly long lifespan – up to 50 years. You have probably noticed the roadworks as well as the famous orange cone areas lately. It’s lightweight, meaning products … A versatile building material, it works well for a variety of different applications such as road construction, bridge abutments, slope stabilization, building foundations, retaining walls, stadium and theatre seating, fill for underground utilities and landscaping and insulation for both above- and below-grade applications. Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) is a lightweight cellular plastic material consisting of small hollow spherical balls. However, many organic solvents such as acetone, chlorinated solvents and aromatic hydrocarbon solvents can attack the foam and cause it to dissolve. EPS geofoam is resistant to most acids, bases and aqueous solutions of salts and alkalis. EPS is … It is extremely lightweight, but strong and durable. And since EPS geofoam is a manufactured product, every time you use it in a project instead of a natural product, you are helping to sustain the environment. High compressive strengths of up to 60 psi make EPS durable and long-lasting and able to stand up to harsh conditions without deterioration. The perm rating for EPS insulation is 5.0, making it a Class III permeable vapor retarder. EPS is an inert material that does not rot and provides no nutritional benefits to vermin therefore does not attract pests such as rats or termites. EPS geofoam is 98% to 99% air by volume. 9325 Sky Park Court, Suite 250 Since the 1950s, EPS has been recognized as a mainstream insulation material, however over the past decade, new applications have rapidly developed. The Eps stand for Expanded Polystyrene.This is a modern, efficient, safe and economic construction system of buildings. EPS foam offers exceptional dimensional stability. The air pockets that are formed during the manufacturing process make it a great thermal insulator. One pound of EPS geofoam will support 3.5 pounds per square inch while retaining 1% or less deformation. However, expanded polystyrene is being used for new tasks on the construction … At about $0.31 per square foot for a one-inch thick panel, EPS geofoam costs less per square foot than any other rigid foam board insulation product. Plus, EPS foam insulation can be fabricated to size or cut into any configuration to fit a specific project’s needs. road construction, bridge abutments, slope stabilization, building foundations, retaining walls, stadium and theatre seating, fill for underground utilities and landscaping and insulation for both above- and below-grade applications. It is also resistant to microorganisms in the soil. For manufacturing expanded polystyrene, … Size and density. The simplest recycling involves crumbling the old EPS into small pieces and remolding them into usable shapes. In the second phase, the expanded beads, called prepuffs, are dried in the open air for several hours and then, in the third phase, they are transferred to large storage silos. When used in construction as thermal insulation, it gives significant savings on heating and cooling buildings, therefore greatly reducing CO2 and SO2 emissions. However, many organic solvents such as acetone, chlorinated solvents and aromatic hydrocarbon solvents can attack the foam and cause it to dissolve. EPS geofoam qualifies for Energy Star status, a symbol backed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that signifies the product not only helps businesses/people save money but its energy-efficient properties helps protect the climate. The maximum dimensional change of EPS foam should be less than 2%, which makes EPS foam in compliance with ASTM Test Method D2126. Expanded Polystyrene has been the proven answer to common packaging, insulative, and construction material solution for decades. EPS geofoam is one of the most environmentally responsible building materials you can specify in your construction project. In the next phase, the prepuffs are poured into molds to obtain the size of material specified. Copyright 2012 © EPS Industry Alliance. A closer look at: Expanded Polystyrene Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) has become known for its role in smaller combustible cladding fires over the last 20 years due to its very flammable composition. It is unique in that it is a closed cell, rigid, polymeric material that is … There are two reasons why Molygran can provide construction and engineering solutions. Sustainability. The long-term performance advantages of EPS insulation correlate directly to increased energy efficiency and reduced energy costs over the life of the building. EPS geofoam weighs in at only one to two pounds per cubic foot, depending on size. This stage determines the final density of the material by controlling the length of time the beads remain in the expander and/or the pressure in the expander. But that rating may be misleading. Standard-sized EPS foam insulation is available in multiple sizes up to 36-inches thick and 16-feet long or larger. EPS geofoam is resistant to most acids, bases and aqueous solutions of salts and alkalis. EPS is also used in the construction industr… Expanded polystyrene is a plastic foam material that has certain desirable properties because of its structure. Its Health House Indoor Air Quality guidelines recognize EPS geofoam as a safe material for insulation and structural support in construction projects. It can be reused for many different applications or shredded and re-ground and added to the prepuff to be used in the manufacturing process for new EPS geofoam. Expanded Polystyrene Used in Bridge Construction EPS products, including flute fillers, Terraflex Elasticized Polystyrene, and EPS Geofoam are used in road and bridge construction throughout the … Because a molding process is used to produce EPS foam, there are more sizes available to select from, compared to XPS foam board which comes in limited sheet sizes. Steam is injected into the molds through tiny slots, to begin the fusion process. Polystyrene foams are used for a variety of applications because of its excellent set of properties including good thermal insulation, good damping properties and being extremely light … Expanded polystyrene (EPS) has offered solutions to many civil engineering problems associated with pavement construction. Expanded polystyrene has many uses in construction jobs. Durability. Expanded polystyrene is a versatile material with numerous applications within the construction and engineering industries. At about $0.31 per square foot for a one-inch thick panel, EPS geofoam costs less per square foot than any other rigid foam board insulation product. EPS geofoam also has the seal of approval from the American Lung Association. Since the 1950s, EPS has been … EPS geofoam is water resistant and can inhibit the growth of these organisms. It is extraordinarily light and buoyant, and a good insulator against heat and sound. And, it isn’t attractive to rats and other vermin as a source of food. In recent years, there has been an explosive growth of interest in the application of expanded polystyrene (EPS) for construction industry. Because a molding process is used to produce EPS foam, there are more sizes available to select from, compared to XPS foam board which comes in limited sheet sizes. It uses no harmful greenhouse gases in the manufacturing process — pentane, a hydrocarbon solvent which doesn’t affect the ozone layer — is most often used as the blowing agent. Foamex polystyrene building products make a major contribution to the quality, safety, and cost-effectiveness of construction as well as contributing to the sustainability of completed projects. The perm rating may not be indicative of the long-term results. Like … Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) foam has for many years been used as a conventional insulation material in construction, and is extremely energy efficient. And, far more energy is saved over the lifetime of a building insulated with EPS foam board than is used during the manufacturing process for producing the product. EPS is used widely in the building and construction industry. Plus, the product itself doesn’t emit any greenhouse gases. In 2016, more than 118.7 million pounds of EPS geofoam was recycled in the U.S. You’ll find recycled EPS geofoam in everything from insulated cups to outdoor furniture. The compressive resistance of EPS geofoam at 1% deformation ranges from 2.2 psi to 18.6 psi. EPS is a well‐established insulation material … Lightweight expanded polystyrene (EPS) is an ideal material for pre-fabricated building … In 1965, the first expanded polystyrene (EPS) block molding plant was established in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Expanded Polystyrene and Road Construction. And, far more energy is saved over the lifetime of a building insulated with EPS foam board than is used during the manufacturing process for producing the product. EPS foam offers exceptional dimensional stability. EPS geofoam is manufactured using primarily steam, and even the water from the manufacturing process is collected and reused. EPS geofoam weighs in at only one to two pounds per cubic foot, depending on size. Expanded polystyrene (EPS) is an innovative building material that lends to the design and structural integrity of many building projects. Compressive strength. It is also resistant to microorganisms in the soil. Finally, the material is released from the mold and stored until dry. After a drying time of 30 days, the moisture level of the EPS insulation dropped to 0.7% versus 15.7% for the XPS insulation. Because of that, it offers more R-value per dollar than other similar products. Expanded polystyrene, or EPS geofoam, is a cost-efficient insulation material used in the construction industry. Therefore, it is considered to be a fairly chemically inert material. R-value is a measure of a material’s resistance to heat transfer. The EPS insulation had a moisture content of 4.8%, compared to an 18.9% moisture content for the XPS insulation. Chemical inertness. It is extremely lightweight, but strong and durable. It also has the highest average R-value per dollar compared to other rigid foam insulation materials. Density is a significant driver of cost —the denser the material, the more expensive the cost. For example, in a side-by-side test of EPS and its “cousin,” XPS, or extruded polystyrene, both insulations were used below-grade on a building foundation. This means buildings will be cooler during the hot, summer months and warmer during the cold winter months, while reducing the building’s overall energy consumption. The manufacturing process for EPS conventionally begins with the creation of small polystyrene … Published on August 1, 2018 January 9, 2019. EPS geofoam is manufactured from polystyrene resin beads via a process called polymerization. EPS (expanded polystyrene) is an excellent material for packaging and for construction as it is a light yet rigid foam with good thermal insulation and high impact resistance. During the storage phase, which may last as little as a few hours to up to three days, the prepuffs are left in the silos until they reach the desired temperature. It can be … Resistance to moisture absorption is important because water is an excellent conductor of heat. A versatile building material, it works well for a variety of different applications such as. Buildings insulated with EPS geofoam insulation are more economical to maintain over the years. … The maximum dimensional change of EPS foam should be less than 2%, which makes EPS foam in compliance with ASTM Test Method D2126. For example, the cost of using a higher strength insulation than the specs call for, say a 100 psi XPS product versus a 40 psi EPS product, can almost double your material costs. It is extremely lightweight, but strong and durable. Up to 10% of recycled EPS geofoam can be used in the manufacturing process. Since EPS geofoam isn’t biodegradable, it won’t leach into the ground over time, adversely affecting soil and groundwater quality. Ability to inhibit growth of biological air contaminants. High compressive strengths of up to 60 psi make EPS durable and long-lasting and able to stand up to harsh conditions without deterioration. It is this closed cellular construction that gives EPS its remarkable characteristics. By controlling the amounts of heat and pressure applied, EPS geofoam can be created in a variety of densities. Expanded Polystyrene is Growing in the Construction Industry with the Rise of Pre-Fabricated Housing. 1.2 ABOUT EXPANDED POLYSTRENE Expanded Polystyrene … First, the resin beads are fed into a vertical tank containing an agitator and a controlled steam input. Because of that, it offers more R-value per dollar than other similar products. Elasticized Polystyrene Used in Bridge Construction Elasticized polystyrene has been used, and has proven its effectiveness, in bridge construction for over 20 years in the colder areas of the United … Higher densities of EPS geofoam have a greater comprehensive strength than lower densities. Polystyrene can also be used as part of temporary shuttering to create shaped concrete to match any existing or new building designs. Expanded polystyrene (EPS) is a rigid and tough, closed-cell foam with a normal density range of 11 to 32 kg/m 3. 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