This bridge in Austin, Texas has 245 windows. Universal Foam provided the expanded polystyrene block-outs to create the windows.
Bridge windows are found in almost all concrete bridge railings. Besides adding an architectural feature to the bridge, they are also functional. The windows substantially reduce the weight of the railing and bridge system. By displacing the concrete with the windows (air), the weight of the bridge was reduced by approximately 35,000 pounds (150 pounds per cubic foot). Reducing weight translates into lower cost throughout the project and expanded polystyrene blocks-outs are the most economical way to create windows in a concrete bridge railing. They are lightweight and easy to work with. The block-outs are provided ready to install between the contractor’s forms.
EPS block-outs can be created in any shape for a wide range of applications from bolt and post anchoring pockets to architectural shapes on horizontal and vertical walls. Configurations can be coated with a two-part polyurethane coating or a polyurea coating for multiple uses. The shape and application determine feasibility.
EPS form liners are another option to use in conjunction with a contractor’s straight forms to create everything from rounded corners on a vertical structure like a bridge support to complex architectural shapes and facades. They are an economical way to create the taper on the underside of a horizontal bridge support. Universal Foam Products has a patented system for attaching EPS form liners to a contractor’s straight forms that makes the process clean, simple and easy to remove.
