EPS Geofoam Engineering Solution Saves University Time & Money

DENVER, CO--(Marketwire - Jul 19, 2011) - ACH Foam Technologies' Foam-Control® EPS Geofoam solved lateral pressure challenge on a parking garage for the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, AR. The use of EPS Geofoam helped engineers provide a cost-effective solution that met the project's aggressive schedule and saved the university money.

The $22 million parking structure, constructed during the summer of 2009, required a lightweight fill solution that would reduce lateral pressure on the below-grade parking structure's walls. According to Mike Castagna, Project Manager for Baldwin & Shell Construction, "Using Geofoam definitely helped decrease the time originally scheduled for this task." ACH Foam Technologies provided staged delivery, which was crucial to maintaining the project's tight schedule.

During pre-construction meetings Morris Vines, Superintendent at Baldwin & Shell, explained that the "staging [area] at this project is very limited and any additional material would have to be stored offsite." Due to limited staging, ACH Foam Technologies scheduled delivery according to when product was needed to ensure there was not a lapse in product availability.

One of Geofoam's many benefits is that it is easy to handle and install, saving contractors time and money. In the case of the University of Arkansas project, Geofoam allowed the contractor, Baldwin & Shell Construction, to improve their productivity and keep the project on schedule while providing engineers with a lightweight fill solution.

A total of 4,000 cubic yards of EPS Geofoam was installed below-grade as backfill and retaining wall stabilization fill against the parking garage's below-grade walls. The 10.9 psi strength of Type 29 Geofoam will reduce the lateral pressure on the parking structure's walls. Geofoam has been employed to repair slope failures, lower lateral loads behind retaining structures, reduce vertical pressure on below-grade structures, accelerate construction, and minimize differential settlement at bridge abutments.

ACH Foam Technologies is the nation's leading provider of EPS Geofoam for diverse projects:

• Landscape fill for Millennium Park (Chicago)
• Green roof and landscape fill for the California Academy of Sciences (San Francisco)
• Green roof fill for the Fidelity Tower Condos (Kansas City)
• Erosion control material for the Hanging Lake Tunnel (Garfield County, Colorado)
• Compressible inclusion to protect underground utilities (Weber Canyon, Utah)
• Slope stabilization material for retaining walls (Dubuque, Iowa)