Lightweight concrete has been implemented in construction for over 3,000 years, with the use of volcanic ash such as fine aggregate. Advances in technology and new materials have led to advancements in strength, durability, placement capacity, and consistency. Today, Lightweight Cellular Concrete (LCC) is being used as the lightweight backfill and flowable fill material of choice. Its low density reduces earth pressure, minimizes dynamic forces, mitigates settlement, and absorbs earthquake forces in subsurface structures. In addition to lower cost to traditional ground improvement alternatives, the cellular concrete fill option has the benefits of significant savings in time, less uncertainty of the total settlements and rates of settlements, disposal of groundwater and spoil, and ease of construction. In a modern construction environment, schedules get shorter, site footprints get smaller, and access is nearly impossible in some situations. It is imperative to provide a flowable fill option that is reliable and dynamic enough for each unique problem condition.

Lightweight Cellular Concrete (LCC) contains type (I) II‐V Portland cement, water, and a preformed foam. The foam looks like shaving cream and is varied in quantity to control the unit weight of the cellular concrete. These air voids are established in the material via the introduction of either a protein-based or synthetic-based foaming agent that reacts mechanically and chemically with the other components to entrap the air and can produce cast density as low as 24 PCF (pounds per cubic foot).

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The production of cellular concrete takes place at the job site where bulk cement is trucked to site and batched on a truck-mounted plant to produce neat slurry and is injected with preformed foam to produce cellular concrete. Our portable batch plants can produce upwards of 2000 CY/day per unit, and multiple plants can be mobilized. Poured-in-place cellular concrete can be pumped substantial distances. In confined high-traffic areas, trucking traffic from traditional backfill material is substantially eliminated. One bulk cement delivery provides up to 120 CY of cellular concrete—compared to taking 10+ trucks of traditional backfill to equal the same volume. Transported by pumping, cellular concrete does not require compaction, and field QC tests are performed to verify density and strength (test cylinders).

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