Aero Aggregates, the first vertically integrated manufacturer in North America to produce ultra-lightweight, foamed glass aggregate (UL-FGA), concluded its role in providing strong, yet lightweight backfill material for the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) Teton Pass Big Fill Slide permanent repair project.
On June 8, 2024, a catastrophic collapse of a significant section of Wyoming Highway 22 over the historic Teton Pass severed the vital commuter link connecting residents of the Teton Valley in Idaho to the resort and tourism destination of Jackson Hole, Wyo.
Extreme weather, mudslides and roadbed failure required extensive repair efforts to quickly make the road passable and to then permanently solve for the steep slope and significant water management challenges associated with modern road construction through the Teton Pass.
"The foamed glass aggregate provided by Aero Aggregates was the product of choice for the WYDOT ‘Big Fill Slide' project on the Teton Pass," said Pete Schexnayder of Ames Construction, the project's general contractor. "The product not only allowed continuous placement, but it was also less susceptible to weather conditions, decreased the weight of mass exerting forces on the existing material below the embankment and was ecologically friendly for the surrounding national forest."
The repair project involved reconstructing a 100-ft.-high embankment and incorporating drains into the slope. Instead of specifying the traditional stone or soils historically used as highway and infrastructure backfill material, the WYDOT team evaluated lightweight fills and proposed closed-cell, foamed glass aggregate for its exceptional strength-to-weight ratio and water drainage properties.
The impacted Teton Pass highway section is expected to be fully reopened by mid-July, completing the infrastructure restoration.
Aero Aggregates is the only domestic producer of closed-cell, foamed glass aggregate using a dry-foam manufacturing process. The strength of the company's UL-FGA is comparable to traditional stone aggregate but is 85 percent lighter, making it easily transported and quickly positioned on site.
The product's exceptional flow rate, combined with the backing of Aero Aggregates' geotechnical team and the expertise of WYDOT's engineer-of-record for the project, was critical for successfully completing this complex infrastructure repair efficiently and effectively.
The project, the tallest foamed glass aggregate slope stabilization in the United States used approximately 60,000 cu. yds. of Aero Aggregates' sustainable, lightweight backfill material. Due to transport safety weight limits, shipping this volume of material would have required six times more truck runs if traditional fill materials had been used. This significant reduction in transportation meant fewer trucks, lower carbon emissions and more efficient project execution.
"Working with Ames Construction and the WYDOT engineering and implementation team on the Teton Pass repair was an exceptional collaborative experience," said Archie Filshill, CEO and co-founder of Aero Aggregates. "As a team of geotechnical engineers, we didn't just deliver aggregate; we provided a comprehensive technical solution that addressed both weight and water drainage concerns in the slope reconstruction."
Aero Aggregates' manufacturing process converts landfill-diverted glass into a chemically stable, non-leaching, rot-resistant, nonflammable and durable construction material. The foamed glass material used in this project was produced in Aero Aggregate's manufacturing plant in Dunnellon, Fla., and was shipped via intermodal rail and truck to the Teton Pass. Curbside recycled glass for this project was sourced from the curbside recycling efforts of residents and small businesses in Central Florida.
Approved by 25 state DOTs, the reliability and broad acceptance of Aero Aggregate's UL-FGA in highway and infrastructure projects is well-established.
For details, visit aeroaggna.com.
