Jun 18 2015
ACH Foam Technologies' Foam-Control® EPS Geofoam is best known for its use on roadway and embankment projects. An engineered lightweight material with high compressive strengths and predictable material performance has made Geofoam indispensable for civil infrastructure -- the same reasons it was used in the construction of the parking garage for Children's Hospital.
Built to support the Primary Children's Hospital Ambulatory Care Center at the University of Utah, the parking structure has five levels and can hold 1,400 cars. The challenge for designers was the top level, which needed to be able to hold up Salt Lake City's largest fire truck, cars, and extensive landscaping. The engineers needed a material that could absorb some of the stress caused by the weight of the automobiles and the landscaping. The material also couldn't add much weight to the beams supporting the roof deck. ACH Foam Technologies' EPS46 Geofoam was the perfect solution. This density of Geofoam can withstand 18.6 psi at less than 1% deformation, well within the strength range needed to support the expected traffic loads.
Engineers used more than 76,000 cubic feet of Geofoam instead of concrete or soil, both of which would have been too heavy for this structure. The Geofoam was used to create the elevation changes for the driving structure. By using a lightweight material to support the top level of the parking structure, the engineers were able to increase overall loading capacity. This weight reduction also helped decrease the amount of structural support needed for the top floor.
"Geofoam achieved everything we wanted and expected," said Mike Buehner, Structural Engineer and Principal of Reavely Engineers in Salt Lake City, Utah, which handled the project.
ACH Foam Technologies is the nation's leading provider of EPS Geofoam for diverse projects. For information on geofoam visit http://www.achfoam.com or phone 800.525.8697 FREE.
Source: http://www.achfoam.com/