Designation: D6817/D6817M −17 (Reapproved 2025)
Standard Specification for
Rigid Cellular Polystyrene Geofoam
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This standard is issued under the fixed designation D6817/D6817M; the number immediately following the designation indicates the
year of original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last
reapproval. A superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope
1.1 This specification covers the types, physical properties,
and dimensions of rigid cellular polystyrene intended for use as
geofoam.
1.2 This specification does not cover the layout, placement,
and workmanship for proper installation and performance of
rigid cellular polystyrene geofoam.
1.3 Rigid cellular polystyrene geofoam covered by this
specification may need protection from certain chemicals,
environmental exposure, and concentrated loads. Additional
design considerations may include thermal conductivity and
buoyancy. Guidelines regarding these end-use considerations
are included in Appendix X1.
1.4 The values stated in either SI units or inch-pound units
are to be regarded separately as standard. The values stated in
each system are not necessarily exact equivalents; therefore, to
ensure conformance with the standard, each system shall be
used independently of the other, and values from the two
systems shall not be combined.
1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-
priate safety, health, and environmental practices and deter-
mine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
1.6 This international standard was developed in accor-
dance with internationally recognized principles on standard-
ization established in the Decision on Principles for the
Development of International Standards, Guides and Recom-
mendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical
Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
2. Referenced Documents
2.1 ASTM Standards:
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C165 Test Method for Measuring Compressive Properties of
Thermal Insulations
C203 Test Methods for Breaking Load and Flexural Proper-
ties of Block-Type Thermal Insulation
C303 Test Method for Dimensions and Density of Pre-
formed Block and Board–Type Thermal Insulation
C390 Practice for Sampling and Acceptance of Thermal
Insulation Lots
C578 Specification for Rigid, Cellular Polystyrene Thermal
Insulation
D1621 Test Method for Compressive Properties of Rigid
Cellular Plastics
D1622/D1622M Test Method for Apparent Density of Rigid
Cellular Plastics
D2863 Test Method for Measuring the Minimum Oxygen
Concentration to Support Candle-Like Combustion of
Plastics (Oxygen Index)
D4439 Terminology for Geosynthetics
D7557/D7557M Practice for Sampling of Expanded Poly-
styrene Geofoam Specimens
E177 Practice for Use of the Terms Precision and Bias in
ASTM Test Methods
E691 Practice for Conducting an Interlaboratory Study to
Determine the Precision of a Test Method
3. Terminology
3.1 Definitions:
3.1.1 Terms used in this specification are defined in Termi-
nology D4439.
3.1.2 geofoam—block or planar rigid cellular foam poly-
meric material used in geotechnical engineering applications.
3.2 Definitions of Terms Specific to This Standard:
3.2.1 EPS, XX—number designation for expanded polysty-
rene geofoam type(s) having a minimum density of XX kg/m
3
[lb/ft
3
].
3.2.2 RCPS—letter designation for EPS and XPS rigid
cellular polystyrene geofoam covered by this specification.
3.2.3 XPS, XX—number designation for extruded polysty-
rene geofoam type(s) having a minimum density of XX kg/m
3
[lb/ft
3
].
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This specification is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee D35 on
Geosynthetics and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee D35.06 on Geosyn-
thetic Specifications.
Current edition approved April 1, 2025. Published April 2025. Originally
approved in 2002. Last previous edition approved in 2021 as D6817/D6817M – 17
(2021). DOI: 10.1520/D6817_D6817M-17R25.
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For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or
contact ASTM Customer Service at www.astm.org/contact. For Annual Book of
ASTM Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary
page on the ASTM website.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United States
This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the
Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
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