Interface Shear Strength Characteristics of Interlocked EPS-Block Geofoam

Abstract

Lightweight fills constructed by the use of expanded polystyrene block (EPS-block) geofoam (geofoam block) is known to be susceptible to horizontal loading since the vertical pressure which enhances the shear resistance along the interface of individual blocks is low. Therefore, research has focused on the methods to increase the interface shear resistance of geofoam blocks. This study investigated the use of interlocking mechanisms by conducting direct shear tests on four different interlock configurations. An interlock configuration utilized a number of ledges and notches to interrupt the continuous horizontal shearing plane in-between geofoam blocks. Two different densities of geofoam blocks (EPS19 with a minimum density of