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The Use of Foamed Glass Aggregate (FGA) as a Lightweight Fill above Culverts
Transportation infrastructure, including buried utilities, drainage systems, and culverts, are usually subject to considerable external stresses, which could be existing stresses or added stresses from new construction. Added stresses from new constructions are particularly common in urban areas where buried infrastructure exists in abundance and in the vicinity of construction projects. To mitigate the effects of excessive stresses on existing buried infrastructure, including culverts, lightweight fills can be used in lieu of conventional fills. This research project investigates the use of lightweight fills as a sustainable strategy to “Fix Culvert” in contribution to California Senate Bill 1 (SB1) efforts, or as a sustainable strategy for new constructions. The study focuses on Foamed Glass Aggregate (FGA) as an innovative, sustainable, emerging lightweight fill.
Principal Investigator:
Amr Morsy
PI Contact Information:
California State University, Long Beach
Dates:
June 2025 to August 2026
Implementation of Research Outcomes:
This study aims to evaluate the use of Foamed Glass Aggregate (FGA) as a strategy to “Fix Culvert” in contribution to SB1 efforts. The specific objectives of the project include (1) synthesizing the state of practice of the use of lightweight fills in California; (2) compiling and evaluating case studies of FGA use in transportation fill application with a focus on their use as culvert fills; (3) performing numerical analysis to compare the mechanical response of culverts under FGA fills I as alternative to conventional fills; and (4) developing recommendations for design guidelines and construction controls for the use of FGA as fills for culverts.
Impacts/Benefits of Implementation:
Many culverts and drains in California are in need of repair. California Senate Bill 1, the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017, provides additional funding for the State of California to address the deferred maintenance needs of the transportation system's assets and designates an annual allocation of $400 million, specifically, for culverts and bridges. This law requires that Caltrans meets the preliminary performance outcomes, and indicates there is to be, "Not less than 90 percent of culverts in good or fair condition," by the end of the year 2027. This research project offers innovative means for stress mitigation above deformed culverts that require repair or new construction above existing culverts. The research findings can be extended beyond the realm of SB1 that addresses the repair of existing culverts, as lightweight fills can also be used in new designs to reduce construction costs. It is notable that the outcome of this research could extend to serve not only California, but other states across the nation.
Project Number:
2549
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Contact Us
SJSU Research Foundation 210 N. 4th Street, 4th Floor, San Jose, CA 95112 Phone: 408-924-7560 Email: mineta-institute@sjsu.edu
