60,000 Cubic Yards of Ultra-Lightweight Foamed Glass Aggregate Completes the Nation's Tallest FGA Slope Stabilization, Diverting 50 Million Glass Bottles from Landfills
EDDYSTONE, Pa., July 1, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- , the first vertically integrated manufacturer in North America to produce ultra-lightweight, foamed glass aggregate (UL-FGA), has concluded its critical role in providing strong, yet lightweight backfill material for the Teton Pass Big Fill Slide permanent repair project.
On June 8, 2024, a catastrophic collapse of a significant section of Wyoming Highway 22 over the historic Teton Pass severed the vital commuter link connecting residents of the Teton Valley in Idaho to the famous resort and tourism destination of Jackson Hole, WY. Extreme weather, mudslides, and roadbed failure required extensive repair efforts to quickly make the road passable and to then permanently solve for the steep slope and significant water management challenges associated with modern road construction through the Teton Pass.
The repair project involved reconstructing a 100-foot-high embankment and incorporating drains into the slope. Instead of specifying the traditional stone or soils historically used as highway and infrastructure backfill material, the WYDOT team evaluated lightweight fills and proposed closed-cell, foamed glass aggregate for its exceptional strength-to-weight ratio and water drainage properties.
Aero Aggregates is the only domestic producer of closed-cell, foamed glass aggregate using a dry-foam manufacturing process. The strength of the company's UL-FGA is comparable to traditional stone aggregate but 85 percent lighter, making it easily transported and quickly positioned on site. The product's exceptional flow rate, combined with the backing of Aero Aggregates' geotechnical team and the expertise of WYDOT's engineer-of-record for the project, was critical for successfully completing this complex infrastructure repair efficiently and effectively.
"The foamed glass aggregate provided by Aero Aggregates was the product of choice for the WYDOT 'Big Fill Slide' project on the Teton Pass," said Pete Schexnayder of , the general contractor selected by WYDOT to lead the repair efforts. "The product not only allowed continuous placement, but it was also less susceptible to weather conditions, decreased the weight of mass exerting forces on the existing material below the embankment, and was ecologically friendly for the surrounding national forest."
The project, the tallest foamed glass aggregate slope stabilization in the U.S., utilized approximately 60,000 cubic yards of Aero Aggregates' sustainable, lightweight backfill material. Due to transport safety weight limits, shipping this volume of material would have required six times more truck runs if traditional fill materials had been used. This significant reduction in transportation meant fewer trucks, lower carbon emissions, and more efficient project execution.
"Working with Ames Construction and the WYDOT engineering and implementation team on the Teton Pass repair was an exceptional collaborative experience," explained Archie Filshill, CEO and Co-Founder of Aero Aggregates. "As a team of geotechnical engineers, we didn't just deliver aggregate; we provided a comprehensive technical solution that addressed both weight and water drainage concerns in the slope reconstruction. Additionally, this project demonstrated our ability to quickly supply material to any location, even to the top of the Tetons."
Aero Aggregates' manufacturing process converts landfill-diverted glass into a chemically stable, non-leaching, rot-resistant, non-flammable, and durable construction material. The foamed glass material used in this project was produced in Aero Aggregate's manufacturing plant in Dunnellon, Florida and was economically shipped via intermodal rail and truck to the Teton Pass. Curbside recycled glass for this project was sourced from the curbside recycling efforts of residents and small businesses in Central Florida.
Approved by 25 state DOTs, the reliability and broad acceptance of Aero Aggregate's UL-FGA in highway and infrastructure projects is well-established. This particular project highlights Aero Aggregates' capabilities in even the most challenging permanent infrastructure repair. The impacted Teton Pass highway section is expected to be fully reopened by mid-July, completing the restoration of this critical infrastructure.
About Aero Aggregates
Aero Aggregates is the first vertically integrated manufacturer in North America to produce ultra-lightweight, foamed glass aggregate from 99% recycled container glass. The company's manufacturing capabilities include the ability to make several types of foamed glass including both open- and closed-cell aggregate. The founders of Aero Aggregates realized the need for a sustainable solution for lightweight construction materials due to increased design or constructability requirements. Today's civil engineering challenges include construction on soft soils, lateral load reduction behind retaining walls and structures, insulating subgrade and backfill, and the protection of underground utilities. Aero Aggregates provides an answer to many of these challenges by supplying a lightweight material with a high friction angle that is also insulating, free-draining, non-absorbent, non-combustible, and resistant to chemicals, rot and acid. The company has manufacturing facilities in Eddystone, PA and Dunnellon, FL, from which it distributes UL-FGA to customers nationwide. for more information.
Media Contact
Mark Tordik, Aero Aggregates, 1 215-644-6502, [email protected],
SOURCE Aero Aggregates
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