StableFill™ Cellular Concrete and Services

Cellular concrete solves a multitude of issues

Standard concrete is a dense, heavy material – and those qualities are advantageous in many applications such as footings, foundation walls and floor slabs. In contrast to standard concrete, cellular concrete is relatively light.

Cellular concrete is made by replacing the stone aggregate used in standard concrete with air bubbles. These tiny bubbles are created by blending foaming agents into the concrete during the mixing process.

Cellular concrete characteristics

At A NO Dealers, we use StableFill™ cellular concrete to solve a wide range of structural problems that relate to both new construction and retrofit or repair applications.

Here are the main characteristics of the innovative masonry material called StableFill™:  

• Low-density. By controlling the foaming action, it’s possible to manipulate the density of cellular concrete, creating densities that range from 15 to 120 lbs. per cubic foot. Standard concrete has a density of about 145 lbs. per cubic foot
• Excellent pumping qualities. Thanks to its high air content and low density, cellular concrete is easy to pump – even when long distances are involved.
• Light but strong. Cellular concrete is typically stronger than compacted fills or soils, even at its lower densities.
• Permeable or non-permeable. A broad range of applications are possible because cellular concrete can be formulated to stop water penetration or allows it to drain through the material.  

• Self-leveling. Cellular concrete has excellent flow characteristics. It performs well at filling voids and flowing to form a level surface.
• Insulating. The air bubbles captured in cellular concrete give the material much better insulating qualities than other masonry materials.

Bridge approach and landslip repair fills

Typical uses for cellular concrete: from fill to flooring

Considering the unique qualities of cellular concrete mentioned above, it's not surprising that this material has a wide range of possible applications. We frequently use our StableFill™ cellular concrete as a fill material for open cuts in roadway construction or repair, behind retaining walls, and in other open fill and backfill applications. In these situations, cellular concrete’s stability, strength and permeability are superior to those of soil fills.

StableFill™ cellular concrete can also be applied in a thin layer to form a floor surface. This treatment can work over new substrate material or over an old, worn-out floor. Thanks to its light weight, insulating value and self-leveling qualities, cellular concrete has similar value in creating a flat roof surface.

The history of cellular concrete

Builders have experimented with ways to create a light, strong mortar since the Roman Empire of 2000 years ago. But modern cellular concrete was invented in Sweden in the mid-1920s by architect Johan Axel Eriksson. Like other architects and builders of his time, Eriksson was interested in broadening the applications of concrete by reducing the material's weight and increasing its insulating value. The higher insulating value was particularly important in Sweden and other northern European countries.

Eriksson discovered that by eliminating the use of stone aggregate in the concrete mix and introducing a foaming agent, he could create an aerated mortar – concrete full of tiny air bubbles. The same air bubbles that lightened the concrete also increased its insulating value, thanks to the insulating properties of enclosed air pockets.

Cellular concrete can be used in many "pour-in-place" applications. It can be flowed onto a flat roof to create a roof surface that's light, strong and energy efficient. Foundation repair contractors can pump cellular concrete into loose fill soil, taking advantage of cellular concrete's ability to flow into voids and consolidate loose soil so that load-bearing properties are increased.

Cellular concrete can also be used in precast applications, for manufacturing lightweight concrete blocks and panels that are trucked to the construction site and erected to form structural walls.

In the aftermath of World War II, cellular concrete became a true "go-to" material for reconstructing cities that had been decimated by bombing attacks. Today the material is used around the world in a broad range of residential and commercial applications.

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