Expanded Polystyrene EPS in Construction

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EPS in ConstructionEPS is strong, durable, lightweight, water resistant and has excellent thermal insulation.

Expanded Polystyrene is an affordable and incredibly sustainable choice throughout the industry due to its versatility and performance.

Blown Bead ICFS Wall / Floor / Roof Civil Engineering

WHY EPS?

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Why Blown Bead Cavity Wall Insulation?

Houses without cavity wall insulation loose around a third of their heat through external walls.

Installing blown bead cavity wall insulation will meet and exceed the necessary Building Regulations.

Blown Bead



Benefits of Blown Bead• Outstanding durability – Rot proof, water resistant and sufficiently stable to

remain effective as an insulation for the life of the building.

• No settlement – as the blown beads are coated with an air drying bonding agent during installation. there is no possibility of settlement occurring. The insulation remains in place for the life of the building.

• A consistent density of insulation

• Constant thermal projection throughout the installed area

• No wastage – the beads flow unrestricted, totally filling the cavity, forming an homogeneous heat saving mass.

• Straight forward installation – Drill it, Fill it, Seal it



Sustainability of Blown Bead• Zero ODP (Ozone Depletion Potential)

• Low GWP, less than 5 (Global Warming Potential)

• BRE Ecopoints rating of 0.043

• CFC, HFC and HCFC free

• No wastage on site

• Green guide summary ‘A’ rating

• 100% recyclable



More Reasons for Blown Bead• Up to 30% reduction in your heating bills

• A warmer house due to the effectiveness of EPS blown bead

• A safe and sustainable energy saving product that will last the lifetime of your property with no depreciation in the thermal performance

• Assurance that your EPS blown will be safely and carefully installed

• The backing of a 25 year CIGA guarantee.

• A BBA approved EPS blown bead cavity wall insulation certificate.



Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs)A building system that uses an expanded polystyrene (EPS) form to construct residential and commercial structures.

Concrete is poured into the formwork that also acts as a long lasting thermal insulation which keeps the house warm and protects the concrete core from temperature extremes.



The Next Generation ICFThe Government’s drive for greater sustainability and efficiency in the construction sector has encouraged alternative methods of building.

ICF construction is evident around the world in all types of buildings – apartment blocks, basements, offices, hospitals, schools, shops, hotels as well as housing.

Sustainable Homes

Building homes with ICFs and sources of renewable energy will become more common place as builders strive to achieve Code for Sustainable Homes Levels 5 and 6.

Design flexibility

The superior strength of the concrete core and the adaptable nature of ICFs, allows the creation of structures with curves and other angles.

With ICF blocks you no longer have to design around the limitation of timber or conventional brick and block construction.


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Building with ICFs dramatically reduces the time and cost of construction and offers huge advantages in energy saving, fire safety, thermal efficiency and acoustic performance – and is also the greener, more sustainable choice.


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Benefits of ICFs• Low levels to energy required to heat ICF constructions

• One of the most sustainable modern methods of construction available

• When used as insulation the EPS will offset its own CO2 footprint many times over during the buildings lifetime by reducing heating requirements

• Concrete is poured in-situ thus making a very airtight construction, preventing air leakage which is a key requirement of low or passive energy home design

• Easy to finish internally with plaster board

• Pipes, ducting and wiring can be easily recessed into the EPS

• External walls can be clad traditionally with masonry, timber or render



Environmental Choice

ICF systems provide excellent eco credentials in terms of environmental profiles (A+ BRE assessed ratings) from a design approach that makes use of recycled materials wherever possible.

Through its thermal and air infiltration performance, ICF construction can significantly reduce the ongoing operational CO2 emissions of buildings, which are responsible for some 50% of the UK’s total CO2 emissions.

*Building Research Establishment (BRE)



EPS Slabs for Under-Floor HeatingEPS boards are perfect for laying under-floor heating pipes for residential or industrial applications.

Benefits:

• Accommodates heavy loads

• Provides pre determined grid for ease of layout

• Evens out ground floor temperatures and aids effectiveness of EPS walls and roof systems

• Provides barrier to concrete slab



Internal & External Wall InsulationThe perfect solution for upgrading timber-frame kit homes, or remediating an old stone building without affecting the exterior finishes.

Benefits:

• Easy to install

• Minimum loss of internal footprint

• Improved u values - Reduction of draughts and cold spots

• Improved internal soundproofing

• Lightweight shipping for low carbon footprints



Loft / Ceiling InsulationSupplied in the form of rigid lightweight slabs or boards and increasingly moulded shapes for insulation between floor beams and other applications.

EPS has a range of applications from floor insulation to walls (internal, cavity and external) insulation and also in roofs.

Benefits:

• Fit between rafters and floor joists• Reduces heat loss• Simple to cut and fit• Made from flame retardant EPS material• Reflects heat in the summer



Civil EngineeringEPS is well proven in decades of use in civil engineering applications where it has been subjected to millions of loading cycles, for example, in road and railway structures.



Civil Engineering - RoadsLightweight EPS blocks are used for constructing heavy structures, like road embankments to reduce the pressure on the underlying soils.

EPS is a cost effective, reliable alternative to piled constructions.

The weight of traditional fill materials used to widen embankments can cause unacceptable stresses in the embankment.

EPS offers a cost-effective lightweight solution which reduces the probability of further settlement.



Civil Engineering – Bridges / Tunnels EPS billets are used in civil engineering

projects to reduce settlements and/or improve substructure support conditions.

Benefits

Because of the extreme lightweight physical properties of EPS, it can significantly reduce stress and settlements on large earth structures.

Applications

• Minimizing lateral pressures on retaining walls

• Slope stability

• Highway insulation

• Bridge abutments

• Tunnel and underpass projects

• Lightweight void fill



Civil Engineering - RailwaysThe high strength-to-weight ratio of EPS provides a cost-effective solution to withstand the mechanical loads encountered in railway construction.

EPS brings the benefits of exceptional compressive strength and block rigidity.

This means it is ideal for use in many construction and civil engineering applications, particularly as a structural base infill, for example in road, railway and bridge infrastructures.



Civil Engineering – Stadium Seating A lightweight, easy to use material for quick

installation. Foam-Control EPS is a cost-effective, durable, and time saving solution for stadium seating.

Benefits

Cost effective structural design is among the highest priorities inconstruction.

EPS is available in a range of density strengths necessary to provide structural integrity and cost effectiveness.

Advantages

• Quicker Installation

• Precut blocks available to match custom project configurations

• Lightweight with high strength

• Excellent adhesion to concrete

• No CFC, HCFC, HFC, or formaldehyde



WHY EPS?EPS has for decades been the architect’s number one choice for sustainability, performance and economy in a wide range of applications including:

• Roof, floor and wall insulation (Blown Bead / ICFs)• Bridge, rail and road widening schemes• Underground heating system support• Interior and exterior decorative mouldings• Sub-structures and void-fill blocks for civil

engineering

LightweightStructural Strength

Economy

Insulation

Design Versatility

Accredited Performance

Sustainable Credentials

Usage Safety

Resistance to Water Ingress

Flame Retardant

Select an EPS attribute of interest…



LightweightEPS offers an exceptionally lightweight solution to so many applications in construction. This is not surprising when you consider that, EPS is effectively 98% air!

The advantages in on-site handling and transportation bring significant economic benefits whilst considerably reducing health and safety risks associated with the lifting of heavier materials.

It is therefore an excellent substitute for infill materials and ballast where it also brings load and fill times down in time-critical build projects.

EPS is also used in the automotive industry to improve vehicle safety and to make vehicles lighter.

Lighter cars reduce fuel consumption and exhaust emissions, as do lighter lorries traveling to and from construction sites.

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High Strength and Structural StabilityIn spite of its light weight, the unique matrixstructure of Expanded Polystyrene brings the benefits of exceptional compressive strength and block rigidity.

This means it is ideal for use in many construction and civil engineering applications, particularly as a structural base infill, for example in road, railway and bridge infrastructures.

Strength tests performed on EPS which was first placed in the ground almost 30 years ago show that it is just as strong today – the tested strength routinely exceeding the original minimum design strength of 100kPa.

EPS bridge foundations, which have been subject to many years of sustained loading, show ‘creep’ deformation of less that 1.3% - only half as much as had been theoretically predicted.

Most importantly, EPS stability does not deteriorate with age.

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EconomyIn the construction sector, EPS has a long established reputation for its exceptionally high insulation qualities. Its BRE ‘A-plus’ rating means it is the perfect choice for many applications.The perfect choice for use in under-floor, between-floor, walling and roofing applications where it is able to give a constant insulation value across the full service life of the building.

Thermal conductivity testing of EPS to DIN 52612, under the auspices of the Forschungsinstitut für Wärmeschutz in Munich, confirmed that its insulation efficiency at 0.0345W/mK was well within the originally specified standard requirement of 0.04W/mK.

For those seeking higher performance material for the Code For Sustainable Homes (CSH), low lambda material is available – which is typically grey in colour.

The thickness of high-performance, low lambda EPS can be as little as 70mm, making possible a total floor thickness of 135mm.

EPS has long been regarded as a high performance, value-for-money material.

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InsulationEPS is a well-established material for the construction industry and offers a proven and economic solution which helps specifiers maintain build costs and construction budgets.Far from incurring a cost premium, the new build cost of insulating a building with EPS, rather than polyurethane,polyisocyanurate or mineral wool, is typically 20% less.

Floor construction with EPS requires only one waterproof membrane to beinstalled, not the two needed for mineral wool or PU foam – saving on both material and labour.

And for a given insulation performance, EPS itself costs less than these competing materials.

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Design VersatilityEase of cutting and handling allows the factory production or on-site preparation of complex shapes to match the most demanding architectural and design requirements.EPS is an easy material to work with and doesn’t usually require specialist cutting tools or skills.

Cutting does not produce any harmful particles which means the breathing masks, goggles and protective gloves needed for working with mineral wool and other materials are not required with EPS.

ICFs are a modern and versatile method of construction that architects favour due to:

• Design flexibility

• Quicker build times

• Cost effectiveness

• The variety of finishes available

• Higher building performance in terms of sustainability and energy efficiency

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Accredited PerformanceEPS has a long and proven track record and has been tested to some of the world’s mostdemanding performance standards.

EPS has BBA Approval, BRE Certification and many wider industry accreditations. Its light weight, high compressive and impact strength, insulation, safety and eco-credentials combine to make it the preferred option for so many architectural and construction applications.

BRE certification gives you confidence that products and services will perform as expected.

It ensures that they meet – and continue to meet - appropriate standards, through a combination of regular company audits and a schedule of on going tests.

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Resistance to Water IngressAfter almost 30 years in the ground, samples of EPS retrieved from locations as little as 200mm above the ground water level all have less than 1% water content by volume.Blocks of EPS which are periodically entirely submerged show less than 4% water content – performance notably superior to other foamed plastic materials.

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Safety in installation and useExpanded Polystyrene is non-toxic, chemically inert, non-irritant and rot-proof. Fungi and bacteria cannot grow on EPS and it is insoluble and non-hygroscopic.

EPS is also rodent-proof and offers no nutrient attraction to vermin. Nor is it affected by water, thus ensuring that moisture contact will not leadto deterioration of the product or its performance.

In fact, the reinstatement of flood damaged buildings is a much quicker, more practical and less costly procedure if building structures feature non-water-absorbing insulation material just like EPS.

Cement, lime, gypsum, anhydrite and mortar modified by plastics dispersions have no effect on EPS, so it can confidently be used in conjunction with all conventional types of mortar, plaster and concrete encountered inbuilding construction.

All of this makes it entirely safe in use across all of its construction applications including subterranean and marine environments.

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Sustainability CredentialsAt every stage of its life cycle, from production to recovery or recycling, EPS offers exceptional eco-credentials and is therefore ideally suited to the new generation of eco-friendly building projects.All manufacturing processes comply with current environmental regulation. EPS uses no greenhouse gas producing materials.

It is chemically and environmentally non-aggressive and it can be – and is – easily recycled into long-life products through an expanding nationwide network of collection points.

All our manufacturing facilities are certified to ISO 14001:2004 which demonstrates our environmental commitment to our customers who are more and more aware of the environmental impact their activities may cause.

Foam Products complies with the latest environmental legislation and work hard daily to reduce the environmental of our operations.

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Flame RetardantEPS is widely used throughout the construction industry in a flame-retardant grades where its trusted performance has been established over decades of use.

EPS should be specified for installation in a protected/enclosed environment such as under concrete screed, behind plasterboard,in building cavities and underground.

EPS is combustible, but the flame-spread with flame-retardant EPS is markedly reduced and meets the requirements of Class E when tested and classified in accordance withBS EN ISO 13501-1:2002.

EPS will extinguish on removal of the igniting flame.

The fire behaviour of naked EPSinsulation material is not relevant.The material is generally coveredby other material which determines the fire behaviour.

The insulation material is only affected by fire after the covering material fails and by this time the building or the compartment cannot be saved from total loss.

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For more information contact

Eileen CowanAccount Manager

Plastics DivisionFoam ProductsCornhill Close Lodge Farm Industrial EstateNorthampton , NN5 7UB, United Kingdom

Tel: +44 (0) 1604 596800Mob: +44 (0) 7785 368285

[email protected]


mailto:[email protected]


Date post:	08-May-2015
Category:	Self Improvement
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Expanded Polystyrene EPS in Construction

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