Engineer's Corner: Fire Resistance of Lightweight Concrete and Masonry

Structural lightweight concrete and lightweight concrete masonry units offer the best fire resistance of the structural concretes typically used in buildings and in infrastructure projects. Table 1, based on ACI 216.1-14, clearly illustrates that thinner wall, floor or roof concrete thicknesses are needed when using structural lightweight concretes made with ESCS LWAs.

ESCS Aggregates Provide Superior Retention for Asphalt Chip Seal Project

On this county road project, the county used both the ESCS aggregate, and sandstone aggregate on different portions of the road. Immediately after the contractor rolled the road it was open to traffic. It was visually apparent that the ESCS aggregate held in place while the sandstone aggregate lifted immediately under the tire tracks. It was even more apparent as I drove over the road as the ESCS aggregate made little to no noise on the under carriage of the vehicle but, when I hit the normal weight sandstone portion of the road, the rocks hitting the under carriage of the vehicle were extremely loud indicating that that material was not being held in place. The lack of hold demonstrated by the sandstone aggregate can contribute to broken windshields, which can be dangerous for drivers. In addition to broken windshields, the loose aggregates create issues with vehicle traction and stopping.