Cellular Concrete Load Reduction for Buried Stormwater Structure
The Job
A Pepsi bottling plant and distribution center in Atlanta, Georgia, initiated a building extension. This expansion required shifting a parking lot. The new lot’s footprint was located directly over a newly installed underground stormwater retention and detention system.
Placing the CJFill-Ultra Lightweight cellular concrete fill.
The Challenge
The new stormwater management system consisted of plastic arches. These arches can only tolerate a limited amount of load from overlying materials. Due to a design oversight, the backfill placed over the structure was significantly heavier than the system was designed to handle. This error created a dead load that exceeded the structure’s maximum allowable capacity, jeopardizing the integrity of the arches and halting progress on the new parking lot.
The Solution
Crews first excavated the heavy conventional backfill to expose the top of the buried arch structure. We then placed 1,300 cubic yards of CJFill Ultra-Lightweight Cellular Concrete to replace the excavated material. The fill utilized a combination of 25 PCF and 40 PCF densities to meet specific design requirements. This solution successfully reduced the dead load on the structure to a level safely below its maximum capacity. We performed the work in just three days. The contractor was able to install the pavement base the following day, putting a critical project back on schedule.
Speak With An Expert
Have a similar challenge to this cellular concrete load reduction project? Facing complex geotechnical issues or need to reduce loads on buried structures?
