Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) in road construction
Blocks of expanded polystyrene (EPS) have been widely used as lightweight fill material for over 50 years, both in Norway and worldwide.
In the 1970s, engineers from the Norwegian Public Roads Administration developed a new method for road construction using the ultra-lightweight material EPS. This method has proven to be highly effective for building in areas with poor ground conditions around the world.
Research and experience show that EPS blocks provide excellent solutions in construction projects. EPS is a stable material, and no degradation has been observed in road embankments, either in Norway or in other countries.
Since 1972, nearly 1,000 structures or road embankments using EPS have been built in Norway. The method has become common and is now a standard solution in many parts of the world.
International conferences have played an important role in the development and dissemination of information about the use of EPS.
Much of the research in Norway has been conducted in collaboration with international partners through knowledge exchange and joint projects, under the motto:
"Be bright - Think light and do it right."
Below are links to the 5 international conferences that have been arranged, as well as som selected presentations of the method.
Lightweight EPS Geofoam embankments
Conference proceedings:
- Plastic foam in road (PDF). Oslo, Norway 1985
- International symposium on EPS construction method. Tokyo, Japan 1996
- EPS Geofoam 2001 3rd International Conference (ZIP-fil) Salt Lake City, USA 2001
- International Conference on Geofoam blocks in Construction Applications (PDF). Lillestrøm, Norway 2011
- 5th International Conference on Geofoam Blocks in Construction Applications 2018; Proceedings fra konferansen kan kjøpes fra Springer forlag