Infrastructure
LECA Acoustic Concrete Tiles
Acoustic walls effectively reduce unwanted noise from traffic, railways, and industrial machinery.
Bridges
Leca LWA is an ideal choice as a lightweight aggregate for concrete products. Its low weight enables the production of lightweight masonry blocks with excellent insulation properties. Ready-mix and precast lightweight aggregate concrete (LWAC) can be manufactured in various densities, achieving compressive strengths of up to 70 MPa or more. Today, LWAC is widely applied in numerous construction projects worldwide. Examples of its versatile uses include:
- Structural slabs for residential and infrastructure projects
- Foundations and load-bearing structures
- Bridges, including long-span designs or wide platforms
- Floating structures, such as offshore wind turbines or aquaculture facilities
Bridge abutment
Constructing embankments on weak and compressible soil is a common challenge, as the embankment's weight often causes soil consolidation and settlement. Thanks to the lightweight nature of Leca LWA, settlements in the transition zone between structures and roads or railways are significantly reduced or even eliminated. Moreover, the aggregate's excellent drainage capacity ensures long-term load stability, further minimizing the risk of failure or settlement.
Tunnels
In regions susceptible to mining subsidence or where ground conditions feature natural voids, culverts, or tunnels with a risk of collapse, reducing the overlying weight with Leca LWA provides an effective solution. This is especially crucial during tunnel construction, where unexpected voids or small cavities around the concrete may collapse onto the structure. Lightweight filling with loose or cement-bound Leca LWA offers a cost-efficient solution, as it can be easily handled and applied using pumping or blowing techniques.
Railway
Constructing embankments on weak and compressible soil deposits often leads to soil consolidation and settlement due to the embankment's load. Depending on the embankment's height, the depth of the weak soil, and the soil strata's consolidation properties, these settlements can be significant, posing challenges to road evenness, functionality, and long-term durability. The lightweight properties of Leca LWA help significantly reduce or even eliminate such settlements. Furthermore, its excellent drainage capacity ensures stable load distribution over time, minimizing the risk of failure or further settlement.
Retaining walls
When a fill structure is placed and compacted on a landscape, it generates additional loads, which are particularly significant in areas with soft soil subgrades. The load magnitude depends on the fill material’s density and thickness. These additional loads often lead to long-term settlement of the embankment or structure. The extent of settlement is proportional to the softness of the soil, with outcomes ranging from significant total settlement to unacceptably high differential settlement or structural tilting. Using Leca LWA as a fill material in landscaping can substantially reduce the additional loads exerted on the subgrade, thereby minimizing long-term settlements. Differential settlements caused by varying loads or soil conditions can also be mitigated by employing a lightweight transitional structure. In areas with high groundwater or surface water levels, it is also beneficial to partially reduce the fill structure’s weight to alleviate pressure on the surrounding environment.
Walk/bike road
The construction of embankments on weak and compressible soil deposits often results in soil consolidation and settlement due to the embankment's weight. By utilizing the lightweight properties of Leca LWA, these settlements can be significantly reduced or even eliminated. Furthermore, the aggregate's excellent drainage capacity ensures long-term load stability, effectively minimizing the risk of structural failure or further settlement.
Floating islands
Floating Ecosystem Modules offer numerous benefits, such as habitat creation, urban waterscaping, water quality improvement, and wastewater treatment. The lightweight nature of Leca LWA not only enables the islands to float but also simplifies the assembly and installation of these structures. The unique shape and porous structure of Leca LWA promote plant root growth and support the development of biofilm, which plays a vital role in water purification.
Sheet pile walls
Extending land into water often presents geotechnical challenges due to soft and muddy soil conditions. Leca LWA effectively addresses these issues by compensating and reducing the load on confining structures. Leca LWA is well-suited for use in quay and land extension designs, including sheet piles, sheet pile cells, and caisson structures. It is also ideal as a fill replacement in solid berth structures, particularly when quayside waters are dredged to greater depths.
Pipelines
Extending land into water often poses challenges in maintaining the alignment of piping systems, especially when drains run across soft soil. Leca LWA serves as an excellent lightweight pipe surround, reducing pressure on the underlying soils and minimizing the risk of uneven settlement. An additional advantage of using Leca LWA as a pipe surround is its ability to prevent damage to pipelines during backfilling. It also reduces the risk of damage caused by settlement. Furthermore, the aggregate provides thermal insulation, helping to protect pipes from energy loss or damage in freezing conditions.