Solite Structural Lightweight Aggregates

Building Owners Win with a Solite Solution…
Increased leasable space—Lower heating and cooling costs—Lower fire insurance premiums.

After 70-years of growth of the cement and concrete industries, the need today is to eliminate the less desirable characteristics of low water/cement ratio heavy weight concrete. Solite® Lightweight Aggregate Concrete can be substituted for common stone concrete in every application providing the benefits of increased strength and weight reduction for long free span designs or where poor soil conditions and seismic conditions prevail.

Masonry

High Performance Concrete Masonry Units (HPCMU) made with Solite® are up to 40% lighter than traditional masonry units. This lighter weight results in higher mason productivity, lower construction costs, and reduced injuries. Lightweight HPCMUs provide superior strength and insulation by combining high R-values with thermal mass and low thermal bridging. In addition, they offer superior fire resistance, enhanced sound absorption, excellent seismic performance, low shrinkage, and high strain capacity. They are not susceptible to mold and have zero possibility of termite damage.

The Freedom Tower is 1,776 feet tall. This new steel and glass structure contains over 1 million GREENLITETM CMUs manufactured by Glenwood Masonry, Brooklyn, NY, and used to create firewalls for the stairways and elevator shafts.

Over 450,000 GREENLITETM CMUs were manufactured by Oneonta Block, Oneonta, NY. They were used in the construction of a new West Point dormitory located at the base of the West Point Chapel. GREENLITETM was selected for its sustainability, fire rating, acoustics, and mold prevention. The use of GREENLITETM also enhanced the LEED standing of the building.

To add continuity, the exterior cladding was made with local gray granite to match the other 215-year-old historic structures at America’s oldest military academy.

Over 11,000 CMU’s manufactured by Kingston Block Kingston, NY, were used to build the New Rochelle High School. All Schools built with Solite® concrete and CMUs are quieter, cost less to heat and cool, have larger column free bays and are safer with enhanced fire ratings.