When Project Manager Tim Davis of Goss Foundations was contracted to build a radius concrete bench in front of the District 8 Federal Courthouse in Council Bluffs Iowa, his first call was to Sales Representative Matt Frey of Benchmark Foam. Due to the short time frame in which they needed to complete the job, Davis decided that using expanded polystyrene (EPS) would be the best option to form a concrete barrier bench that could withstand the collision of a 12,000 lb. vehicle traveling 35 miles per hour, while also creating a curved finish. They required two pours with the foam molds, but according to Davis, that was no problem for Benchmark Foam’s forms.

“The forms stripped with little resistance but held together and we didn’t need to do any repairs for the second pour. We could have used them on several more pours had we needed to,” said Davis.

Having worked together before, Davis knew that the EPS forms could be crafted, but had never used any of their products on a project quite as extensive as the curved barrier bench. Frey assisted in coming up with a design for a feasible form, and Benchmark Foam built it from the ground up. The finished bench was a success and Davis said that Frey and Benchmark Foam would be his first call in the future should he need a unique form built.

“Benchmark Foam did a fantastic job and the outcome shows that. Matt was prompt, and the forms arrived when he promised. What more could you ask for?” Davis commented.

The light weight and versatility of EPS makes it an ideal medium for many applications, including those that do not require thermal resistance or even specify foam as part of the finished product. To learn more about the custom capabilities of Benchmark Foam products, contact our team at 800-658-3444 or epsinfo@benchmarkfoam.com.