Because of their light weight, polystyrene blocks reduce the final weight of the building and are therefore used in construction. These blocks are safe against earthquakes. But they easily lose weight against fire, and the only drawback of these blocks is their low heat and flame resistance. Styrofoam is a better acoustic absorber than concrete and is not a superior sound insulator, so Styrofoam alone has no effect on sound loss. Only if the wall between the two walls of the unit is used, the noise will increase. Thermal insulators are not solely sound insulators and can reduce noise if they are inserted into the system.
Advantages of Ceiling Styrofoam:
- The possibility of replacing one 2.5 kg block of polystyrene with ten kilogram blocks of 120 kg
- 25% savings on foundation and skeleton cost considering low block weight
- Save on joists due to the proper width of the blocks
- Speed and ease of execution of roofs and absence of outages and waste in transportation to the floors using these blocks is supported by the Fuel Conservation Organization.
- The lightness of these blocks minimizes the risk of material collapse during an earthquake.
- Due to the type of expanded polystyrene material, these blocks are the best insulator in terms of moisture, heat, cold and sound penetration and can save up to 70% of energy loss.
Disadvantages of Styrofoam:
- Concrete not filling
- Increased fatalities during fires
- Cracking the ceiling plaster
- Fire Safety Requirements