Geotechnical Applications:

In addition to Lightweight Insulating Concrete (LWIC), Joseph Miorelli & Co, Inc. utiliizes Engineered Fill for many of its large-scale projects, and has found this application to be proven winner over the years as the most cost-effective geotechnical applicaton solution. This specialized cementitious material is often used in difficult situations where either standard fill materials are too heavy or alternate solutions are too costly and time consuming.

Engineered Fill is installed by pumping directly from automated batching and mixing equipment to the point of placement. It maintains a consistent in-place density to assure a quality fill. It does not require compaction and is several times lighter than other fill materials. Engineered Fill has several uses in various geotechnical applications, with the following listing the most common applications of this material.

Engineered Fill - Geotechnical Applications and Advantages:

• Weight Reducing Fills
  The unique strength/low density relationship of Engineered Fill results in an ideal material for reducing dead load on a structure while maintaining or increasing final elevations. This is especially important with older structures when new uses are contemplated. This saves the difficult and costly strengthening of existing buildings, bridges, or specialized structures such as culverts.
  
  
• Bridge Approach Fills
  This is probably the most common application. Engineered Fill is placed over poor soil at a bridge approach or grade separation abutment with thicknesses ranging from less than two feet to more than 20 feet. Different densities may be cast in various locations of these approach fills to satisfy specific load and performance requirements.
  
  
• Roadway Fills
  Engineered Fill is cast as a roadway base fill for rehabilitating existing roadways or for the construction or widening of a new road over poor soil. Overlaying roadways with pavement adds dead load, which further consolidates the soil resulting in differential settlement. Engineered Fill provides a solid yet lightweight roadway base, which reduces settlement and spans any differential subgrade movement.
  
  
• Void Fills
  Because of its low density, flowability, ease of placement and cementitious properties (no compaction required), Engineered Fill is ideal for void fill applications. In pipeline construction, these applications may include abandonment fills, annular fills for sliplined pipes, fills between a pipe and a tunnel cut, and fill around a pipe in a cribbed excavation. Other void fill applications include sinkholes, subsealing settlement voides under slabs, and filling voids created by washouts.
  
  
• Foundation Fills
  Slab and footing pad fills of Engineered Fill spread loads over larger areas, reducing the dead weight on the soil. These are important considerations over poor soils and often replace more costly alternatives such as piling, caissions, etc.
  
  
• Pressure Reducing Fills
  Engineered Fill reduces lateral loads (bending moments) against retaining walls and other structures. Once set, it does not apply lateral pressure against these structures. Depending on its shape and location, Engineered Fill reduces or eliminates active soil pressures on these structures. This results in substantial savings in the design and construction of new structures and the repair of distressed structures.