The use of RAVATHERM XPS thermal insulation can be very diverse! We are thinking not only of the usual uses in building-construction, but also of a completely different application, which utilizes the advantageous properties of the material other than thermal insulation.
Due to the various advantageous properties of closed-cell polystyrene foam (e.g. waterproof, frost-resisting, longevity, etc.), it has been successfully used for many years for insulation of roads, railways and runways against freezing, or as a light-filling, instead of heavy soil filling. This time, however, an even more advanced application was made, during which the high buoyancy of the material was tested.
An architect workshop involving the architect’s college of the Technical University of Budapest and Partizan Architecture was held at Balatonvilágos, not far from our RAVATHERM XPS plant in Balatonfűző. During this workshop, a floating island was built, for which the foundation was provided by the RAVATHERM XPS 300 ST product. The circular island is 2 meters in diameter and consists of 3 layers, which are cut out of 10 cm thick XPS boards. The boards were fixed to each other with anchors, and on top of these, with the help of self-drilling screws, a drainage layer was placed, on which a lawn mat was embedded. The structure was released into the water, giving people on the beach a stunning, unsinkable island, which they can admire or can climb onto. Thanks to the incredible buoyancy of the XPS, the island remained on the surface of the water even with 15 people on it!
The island was used on the beach of Balatonaliga on a weekend in August, at the end of the workshop. The surplus from the fabricating process was returned to the Balatonfűzfő plant, where it was recycled to make new RAVATHERM XPS boards.