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Products - Light Weight Aggregate
What is Lightweight Aggregate?
Expanded Clay Lightweight Aggregate has a long track record of quality and performance. Since its development in the early 1900s, LWA produced by the rotary kiln process has been used extensively in asphalt road surfaces, concrete bridge decks, high-rise buildings, concrete masonry and geotechnical applications. The quality of LWA results from a carefully controlled manufacturing process. In a rotary kiln selectively mined clay is fired in excess of 2000° F. The LWA material is then processed to precise gradations. The result is a high quality, lightweight aggregate that is inert, durable, tough, stable, highly insulative and free draining, ready to meet stringent structural specifications. When bonded to asphalt it creates an advanced road surface that is safer, more economical and longer lasting than its normal weight aggregate counterpart.
Lightweight Aggregate Can Save Lives
Safety is increased due to the superior skid resistance ( wet or dry) of road surfaces made with LWA. This high skid resistance is maintained throughout the road's service life because of the aggregate's rough micro surface texture. Pavements made with normal weight aggregates (especially those using limestones, dolomites and gravel) may polish or become slick under the action of traffic and lose a large percentage of their skid resistance. Lightweight aggregates do not polish as they wear. LWA pavement maintains its high skid resistance because under wear, fresh interior cells with rough ceramic like edges are continually exposed.
When used in concrete and masonry, LWA increases the fire resistance of a given thickness of concrete and provides more structural stability when exposed to high temperatures. Conversely, lightweight concrete provides the required fire resistance rating with less concrete, because it slows the transfer of heat through the concrete. This translates to thinner walls and floors, reducing dead loads and resulting in less reinforcing steel and smaller supporting beams, columns and foundations.
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