A historic bridge through the Adirondack Park near Raquette Lake needed a 12 foot grade change over a sensitive marshland. Foamed glass aggregate delivered a lightweight solution that protected the nearby landscape and eliminated the need for driving piles.
The Route 28 Bridge in Raquette Lake, New York presented a complex engineering challenge at the intersection of structural need and environmental sensitivity. Situated over soft, settlement-prone marshy soils, the bridge required a 12 foot grade elevation to meet new design specifications. Traditional approaches faced critical obstacles:
The design team needed a solution that could achieve the required elevation without overloading the soft subgrade or damaging the protected wetland environment.
Foamed glass aggregate emerged as the optimal material to balance geotechnical performance and environmental protection. With a bulk density 90% lighter than conventional soil fill, foamed glass aggregate allowed the project team to raise the grade to the specified elevation while adding minimal additional load on the underlying marsh soils.
The lightweight properties of foamed glass aggregate delivered multiple advantages:
