Expanded Polystyrene: Future Earthquake-resistant Buildings
- Buildings in the future could be built using an unconventional material to help them face seismic activities better.
- This material could be thermocol, as per researchers at IIT Roorkee.
- Using thermocol, or Expanded Polystyrene (EPS), as a composite material in core of reinforced concrete sandwich could make buildings earthquake resistant, effective up to four stories along with better thermal insulation.
Process and Outcome of Research
- IIT Roorkee researchers tested a full-scale building and a number of wall elements constructed with thermocol sandwiched between two layers of concrete at the National Seismic Test Facility (NSTF) of the college's Department of Earthquake Engineering.
- They evaluated the behaviour of the constructions under lateral forces, as earthquake causes a force predominantly in lateral direction.
- The investigation was supplemented with detailed computer simulation of a realistic 4-storey building.
- A four-storey building constructed with this technique is capable of resisting earthquake forces even in seismic zone V of the country.
- Zone V includes the most vulnerable regions, without any additional structural support.
- This ability to resist earthquake forces has been attributed to the fact that the thermocol layer is sandwiched between two layers of concrete and reinforced with welded wire mesh.
- This technique can also save construction material and energy, reducing the carbon footprint in the process.
- As the thermocol core replaces a large portion of concrete used in the building, it reduces the burden on natural resources and energy required to produce the material.
Expanded PolyStyrene (EPS)
- It is a white foam plastic material produced from solid beads of polystyrene.
- It is primarily used for packaging, insulation, road construction etc.
- It is a closed cell, rigid foam material produced from:
- Styrene – which forms the cellular structure
- Pentane – which is used as a blowing agent
- EPS is a thermoplastic foam product with a unique combination of qualities, including: light weight, strength, durability, shock absorption properties, insulating properties and excellent processability.