G-TEC is manufactured from inert closed cell expanded polystyrene (EPS) that has been elasticized for use in geo-technical applications. The resulting extended range of flexibility can increase design safety factors for retaining walls, foundation walls, buried pipe, integral abutments and other structures from earth pressures, expansive soils, freeze/thaw, surge loads and seismic activity
Geotechnical Protection for Concrete Structures
Beaver Plastics also produces an “elasticized EPS” under our trade name, G-TEC. G-TEC has a much greater elastic limit than ordinary EPS, which does not rebound completely if strained more than approximately 1%. Elasticized EPS is especially suitable for some packaging applications, where total recovery from “first drop” is specified.
Product Description
G-TEC is manufactured from inert closed cell expanded polystyrene (EPS) that has been modified to produce improved stress/strain/time behavior for geotechnical applications. The extended range of flexibility increases the design safety factor against seismic, freeze/thaw and earth pressure failure. G–TEC has been elasticized in a special process which improves the useful response to soil movement. The product permits mobilization of compacted soil shear strength which allows vertical or horizontal arching of the soil structure.
APPLICATION
G-TEC is designed to be used to protect retaining walls, foundations, culverts, buried pipes, abutments and other concrete structures that may be affected by earth loads, freeze/thaw stresses, seismic or other dynamic loads. Concrete retaining walls and other structures should generally be designed to permit earth pressure deflection of at least 0.5% of the wall height. This is a standard criterion for reducing compacted earth pressure from ‘at rest’ to ‘the active state’. G-TEC will provide full elastic strain compensation (and complete rebound) for this amount of deflection if installed between the structure and the earth fill at a thickness of 5% of structure height in contact with soil. A 2-meter high wall would therefore require G-TEC panels of 100mm thickness installed on the face of the wall. G-TEC will also absorb a relatively large amount of soil creep over a lengthy time period. This provides an additional safety factor for the long-term protection of structures. A full geotechnical evaluation of soil type, compaction levels, wall geometry and other factors could produce a site-specific recommendation for the use of G–TEC .