ENGINEERING JOURNAL CHIANG MAI UNIVERSITY

Volume 27, No. 02, Month AUGUST, Year 2020, Pages 39 - 51

Effects of density on geotechnical engineering properties of high-expansive polyurethane foam

Tamonwan Seubpong, Warat Kongkitkul and Pornthep Muangsukhum

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This research studies various geotechnical engineering properties of a high-expansive polyurethane (PU) foam. This PU foam was of a two-component type. Test samples were prepared at various densities. The following properties were studied: i) uniaxial unconfined compressive strength (u); ii) secant Poisson’s ratio (sec); iii) secant modulus (E50); iv) cyclic residual strain (cyN); v) yield vertical stress in one-dimensional compression (y); and vi) coefficient of permeability (k). It is found that, with increasing of the density of PU foam, the values of u, E50, cyN, and y increase, while the values of sec and k decrease. In addition, when considering at the same PU foam’s density, the value of sec decreases with an increase in the vertical stress level, while the value of cyN increases with cyclic stress ratio (CSR) and number of cycle (Nc). Regression analyses were performed to develop empirical formulae to predict these properties from a given PU foam’s density.

Keywords

Polyurethane foam, Density, Compressive strength, Permeability, Residual deformation

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