Ultra-lightweight Foamed Glass Aggregates (UL-FGA)

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What Is Ultra Lightweight Foamed Glass Aggregates (UL-FGA)

UL-FGA are ultra-lightweight aggregates produced from 100% post-consumer recycled glass. The aggregates have a highly frictional surface and combined with a low unit weight, inertness, high permeability, and insulating properties, foamed glass aggregate is ideal as a lightweight backfill.
The idea of foaming waste glass to create a building material has been known for decades but it wasn’t until the 1980s when full-scale production began in Europe. These aggregates are 85-90% lighter than quarried aggregates, have a high friction angle, and are good insulators due to their closed-cell structure. The manufacturing process converts glass cullet into an inert, non-leaching, rot-resistant, non-flammable and durable construction material.
The initial use of UL-FGA was to prevent frost heave in frost susceptible soils throughout Scandinavia. However, the low unit weight and high frictional properties of the material led to other applications and the demand for UL-FGA has continued to increase.
Current civil engineering challenges require construction on soft soils, reduction of lateral earth pressures, decreased loads on structures, and the protection of tunnels and underground utilities. The unique properties of UL-FGA can address these challenges and be a sustainable solution through the beneficial reuse of glass containers.
UL-FGA is approximately 15% of the bulk unit weight of typical aggregates. This makes the material one of the lightest aggregates available on the market.
The Advantage is the weight and strength of UL-FGA. They are 85-90% lighter than quarried aggregates, have a high friction angle, and are good insulators due to their closed-cell structure.
  • High Insulating Values
  • Prevents Frost Heave
  • Easily Compacted
  • Rot Resistant
  • Insect Resistant
  • Free Draining
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Ultra-lightweight aggregate provides solutions for the challenges of today’s infrastructure and commercial construction projects. Foamed glass aggregate is ideal for projects that require fill to be placed over soft compressible soils or over areas with underground utilities. Large embankments can be built with low net surcharge due to the low unit weight and high friction angle of UL-FGA.

Images Commercial Construction
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Foundation Walls & Slabs

2

Greenroofs

3

Plaza Decks

Images Infrastructure
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Embankments

2

Retaining Walls & Bridge Abutments

3

Roadway Widening

4

Tunnels & Culverts

5

Utilities

6

Load Distribution

Sustainability

AeroAggregates has established a beneficial reuse of recycled glass that would otherwise be disposed of in a landfill. The final product has been proven to be a cost-effective alternative to other lightweight materials currently used on infrastructure projects in multiple applications.

Our manufacturing plant is located on a brownfield redevelopment site that was formerly the Baldwin Locomotive plant in Eddystone, PA. For decades, Baldwin was the world's largest producer of steam locomotives.

The equipment used by AeroAggregates to produce foamed glass aggregates was specifically designed to be energy efficient. As a result, there is less energy used and subsequently less CO2 produced when making foamed glass aggregate compared to other lightweight fill materials.

The carbon footprint continues to be reduced during shipping due to the ultra-low unit weight of foamed glass aggregate. AeroAggregates can ship up to 100 CY per truckload. In comparison, traditional quarried aggregates would require up to 8 trucks to ship the same 100 CY volume.

Once delivered to a construction site, foamed glass aggregate is placed in 2-foot lifts and does not require a roller for compaction. This further reduces the carbon footprint due to speed of construction and less equipment required to place and compact.

AeroAggregates is one of a limited number of companies that convert 100% recycled waste into a technically-proven construction material.

Today, AeroAggregates diverts the equivalent over 140 million glass bottles from landfill every year.

Foamed glass aggregate diverts waste from landfills and by doing so, is supporting municipalities’ waste reduction goals while providing a cost effective, technically proven, building material for infrastructure projects.

Foamed Glass Aggregate:

  • Diverts waste from landfills
  • Produced with a lower carbon footprint compared to other lightweight materials
  • Reduces the number of trucks on the road required for delivery
  • Supports accelerated construction