RES2020-10: Guidelines for the Use of Expanded- Polystyrene (EPS) Block Geofoam as Lightweight Backfill Behind Retaining Walls

Geofoam has successfully been used in numerous projects predominantly in Europe, Japan, and the U.S. as lightweight fill to support roadway embankments. However, geofoam has not been used extensively in Tennessee because the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) does not currently have a geofoam design guideline and material special provision for the use of geofoam. Although studies have been performed by other state DOTs on use of geofoam as lightweight fill in embankments over soft ground and two National Cooperative Highway Research Program studies have been completed that focused on use of geofoam as lightweight fill in embankments over soft ground and in stabilization of slopes, none of these studies have focused on the use of geofoam as lightweight backfill material behind retaining walls or bridge abutments. This research addresses this need of developing a design guideline for the use of geofoam as lightweight backfill material behind retaining walls and abutments over soft ground.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $174959
• Contract Numbers:

  RES2020-10

  40100-07219

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Tennessee Department of Transportation

  James K. Polk Building
  Fifth and Deaderick Street
  Nashville, TN  United States  37243-0349
• Managing Organizations:

  Tennessee Department of Transportation

  James K. Polk Building
  Fifth and Deaderick Street
  Nashville, TN  United States  37243-0349
• Project Managers:

  Flores, Ty

• Performing Organizations:

  University of Memphis

  Memphis, TN  United States 
• Principal Investigators:

  Arellano, David

  Alshibli, Khalid

• Start Date: 20191201
• Expected Completion Date: 20221231
• Actual Completion Date: 0
• USDOT Program: Transportation, Planning, Research, and Development

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Backfilling; Bridge abutments; Construction; Foams; Guidelines; Manufactures; Recommendations; Retaining walls
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Design; Environment; Highways; Materials;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01744175
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Tennessee Department of Transportation
• Contract Numbers: RES2020-10, 40100-07219
• Files: RIP, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Jun 26 2020 4:27PM