Jakarta – Foam turns out to be a material for building toll roads. In fact, the use of foam for toll road construction in Indonesia is no longer new and has been frequently applied.

The use of foam on toll roads is referred to as the geofoam method. This method is widely used as a solution to the problem of soft and easily sinking soils.

The geofoam method has been used in Sumatra and Java as well. Here are the full facts:

1. Used on the Trans Sumatra Toll Road
The geofoam method has been carried out on the Indralaya-Prabumulih toll road section. In Sumatra, geofoam is used to slow down the process of land subsidence and reduce the potential for land subsidence.

“Hopefully with the use of geofoam, the comfort and safety of toll road users will increase. Fun fact, the Indralaya – Prabumulih Toll Road cultivated by Hutama Karya also uses geofoam,” Hutama Karya wrote on his official Instagram account @hutamakarya quoted on Sunday (30/7/2023).

In detikcom’s notes, in the official statement of PT Hutama Karya Infrastructure (HKI) last March, it was explained that the use of geofoam was applied to the bridge embankment. The use of geofoam aims to replace the heap material behind the heavy manhole.

Geofoam is a geosynthetic material made from Expanded Polystyrene and Xtruded Polystyrene (XPS) polymers which have a lower specific gravity property than granular or soil materials.

“With the use of geofoam, it is expected to minimize the decline in oprit during road service. In addition, the advantages of geofoam are that it is easy to apply, easy to control quality, and not constrained by the weather,” said Director of Operations III HKI Selo Tjahjono in a statement, Friday (3/3 /2023).

2. The Cisumdawu Toll Road also uses foam
Not only in Sumatra, the construction of toll roads using foam was also carried out on the Cileunyi-Sumedang-Dawuan (Cisumdawu) Toll Road. The construction of the Cisumdawu Toll Road applies geofoam EPS technology as a substitute for landfills.

This technology is applied to the construction of section 5A in Cipamekar village, Sumedang. It was explained that there were parts of the soil that were unstable and watery, so that it could not be handled with regular fills or construction. The use of EPS geofoam technology is expected to reduce the risk of landslides.

“The Cisumdawu Toll Road is not only one of the most unique toll roads which is famous for its twin tunnels, you know, Friends. The Cisumdawu Toll Road also has another uniqueness, namely applying special and sophisticated technology during its construction. This technology is geofoam EPS which was applied to the construction of Section 5A in Cipamekar Village. , Kec. Conggeang, Kab. Sumedang,” wrote the Ministry of PUPR’s Instagram account, Saturday (10/6/2023).

The geofoam technology used at the Cisumdawu Toll Road is expanded polystyrene in the form of high density polystyrene in the form of light weight blocks and is commonly applied abroad, especially to handle unstable soil layers.

3. Advantages of Geofoam
Geofoam can be used for heavy construction purposes, is durable and has a very long service life, is not oxidized by air, water or other natural elements.

With a very light weight, Geofoam EPS is able to encourage efficiency in the use of equipment, labor in the field, and is easy to shape and install. The process of installing EPS beams can also continue without depending on weather conditions.

Meanwhile, Hutama Karya said geofoam had advantages over other materials because it was easy to apply, resistant to weather changes, and easy to control.

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