Curved, sloping trench drains can be difficult to form up. For this project in New York, Tiki Industries used custom milled EPS forms with embedded plywood strips to attach to the curved trench drain grates. Each EPS form was labeled to coincide with a drawing of the drain layout provided by the contractor. The grates were attached to the embedded plywood with wood screws. The outer surfaces of the drain were formed using plywood. After the concrete was installed and set up the grates were unscrewed and the plywood and foam removed.
EPS block-outs and form liners are used for all types of concrete work ranging from simple bolt pockets to vertical and horizontal bridge forms. EPS is lightweight and easy to handle, yet very strong with compression strengths up to 2,680 pounds per square foot at 1% deformation. It is used to create decorative patterns in concrete walls and to provide lightweight voids in large concrete structures. EPS blocks, sheets and shapes are available in densities ranging from less than one pound per cubic foot to three pounds per cubic foot.
