Use of foamed glass aggregate in stormwater infrastructure

Principal investigator: Jonathan Hubler

University: Villanova University

Industry partner: AeroAggregates of North America, Inc.

This project is a collaboration between Villanova University (VU) and AeroAggregates of North America, Inc. Dr. Jonathan Hubler, Dr. Kristin Sample-Lord, Dr. Andrea Welker from VU have expertise in geotechnical engineering and green stormwater infrastructure. AeroAggregates is a Pennsylvania-based company that manufacturers Foamed Glass Aggregate (FGA) from 100% recycled glass. FGA has many applications in difficult civil engineering projects that require reduced loading from soil (e.g., construction on soft soils). AeroAggregates has been leading the implementation of these projects across the United States. However, the use of FGA in stormwater infrastructure applications requires further study of the storage capacity and hydraulic properties of FGA.

The objective of this proposal is to study the ability of FGA to infiltrate, store, and drain stormwater over multiple infiltration events. The results will provide new data to inform design decisions for the use of FGA in stormwater management applications. Evaluation of FGA under a variety of stormwater loading conditions and design configurations could lead to reduced flooding and infrastructure resiliency. The results of the project will provide AeroAggregates with new data to further validate their product use in stormwater applications, leading to increased use and sales of FGA in Pennsylvania.