Serving Wisconsin
Flowable Fill is a multi-purpose fill material consisting of a blend of aggregate, cement, fly ash, water and admixtures. The mixture is designed to be fluid or flowing which allows it to fill the desired area without the need for tamping or compacting. Flowable Fill is also referred to as a "Controlled Low Strength Material" or CLSM and can be referenced under ACI 229R-99.
Flowable Fill is a self leveling, self compacting product. The finished product can be tailor made to deliver a high or low level of strength depending upon the requirement of the job. Projects that require quick turnaround (vehicle traffic within a short time) or have no tolerance for settling for compacted soil (shoring up a building foundation) can be completed efficiently and effectively using this product.
Since granular fill material is not required, there is no backfill labor crew, no stockpiling of fill or conventional spreading, no compactor equipment, no leveling, shoring, or pipe damage. There is no long wait for the mix to harden, it can support normal loads in as little four hours after pouring, and it can be pumped into place. Flowable Fill can also be color tinted for special applications.
Flowable Fill is a very durable product. The load carrying capabilities are typically higher than that of compacted granular back fill. Flowable Fill is more stable and less permeable than compacted backfill, therefore reducing washouts and erosion. All in all, Flowable Fill provides a solution to many construction problems experienced when using fill materials.
The main difference between concrete and Flowable Fill are: 1) Concrete generally contains large aggregate (3/4" aggregate and 1 1/2" aggregate are common in LYCON concrete). 2) Concrete achieves higher strengths because it normally contains twice the amount of cementitious material. One last thing to remember, Flowable Fill is not a substitute for concrete.