Insulating and Load-Supporting Properties of Sulfur Foam for Expedient Roads in Cold Regions

• Main Authors: Smith,North, Pazsint,Daniel A
• Other Authors: COLD REGIONS RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING LAB HANOVER NH
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1979
• Subjects: Inorganic Chemistry; Miscellaneous Materials; Civil Engineering; *ROADS; *SULFUR; *FOAM; TEST AND EVALUATION; PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; INSULATION; COLD REGIONS; PAVEMENTS; RUNWAYS; CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS; PERMAFROST; *Sulfur foam; AS894; PE62112A; WU001; permafrost
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA074694; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA074694

Temperatures of the subgrade and of sulfur foam insulation test sections in an expedient road were monitored with thermocouples to document freezing and thawing conditions. Vehicular trafficking was conducted on a limited basis to determine the load supporting capabilities of the foam. The sulfur foam, placed directly under a prefabricated surface mat, was found to be unsuitable for use as an expedient thermal insulation and traffic load supporting material primarily because of its low tensile strength and high brittleness. The insulating value of sulfur foam produced by the batch process in the field was about one-half that of extruded polystyrene, meaning double the thickness for equal protection against thaw. (Author)