Study confirms long-term strength and durability of EPS insulation panels
(26/02/2010)

The Fraunhofer Institute of Physics examined 93 buildings across Germany including some of the earliest applications of Expanded Polystyrene. The exhaustive study which sampled material taken from one of the oldest known applications of EPS insulation panels is proof of the long-term strength and durability of the material.

Samples taken from the roof of a factory built in 1955 at BASF Aktiengesellschaft showed that panel joints were still tightly sealed and there were no signs of shrinkage, contraction, deformation or buckling. In fact the report states that EPS was “still in excellent condition” after 31 years service.

It is just one of many technical references contained in a new briefing note for architects and building professionals from the British Plastics Federation EPS Construction Group.

The Technical Briefing entitled “Long Life Durability and Cost Effectiveness” is being sent to thousands of UK construction specifiers and is the third in a series aimed at reinforcing the value and effectiveness of EPS.

In another example, strength testing of EPS used as void fill in bridge embankments and highway foundations subjected for three decades to temperature extremes and high load conditions in Norway concluded that “no deficiencies are to be expected from EPS fills placed in the ground over a normal life cycle of 100 years.”

Launching the latest in the Technical Briefings, David Emes, Chairman of the BPF EPS Group said, “The information we are providing represents evidence absolute of the long-term integrity of this outstanding material – whether used as insulation in buildings or as a high-strength, low-weight fill in civil engineering applications. Regardless of the claims often made by so-called alternatives, there is still no better choice for professionals than EPS for those wanting performance, long-term integrity and outstanding cost-effectiveness.”

The Technical Briefings are available in hard copy or PDF format and have been prepared by industry experts under the guidance of the British Plastics Federation. The EPS Technical Briefings also support a 20 page specifier guide produced earlier in the year which was distributed as a library reference to UK architects and builders. All of the latest EPS publications are available for download online.