Flowable fill products offer safe, time-efficient backfill

by Jim Pickett

for the Business Journal

What is flowable fill and why do I care? Where would I use it?

It is exactly what it says, and you care because it could save you time and money and be safe.

Its most common use is to backfill around pipes and culverts. It can be used under pavement and bridge floors, with retaining walls, underground storage tanks and other places you have been using granular fill.

Also called controlled low-strength concrete, "flowable fill" is a sand-water-flyash-cement mixture which flows easily and can be removed easily.

It is delivered by a ready-mix concrete truck and can be placed from the truck or through a pump. Different mix designs provide for flexibility in installation and is self-leveling.

Joe Buehrle, street maintenance supervisor for the city of Saint Charles, presented a seminar "Flowable Fill, the User's Point of View," to a varied group of 80 public and private construction professionals in Springfield.

The seminar included a demonstration. Mr. Buehrle emphasized the time savings and the safety for workers. We anticipate this will be a growth product as governments realize the savings.

(Jim Pickett works in special product sales with Conco Companies in Springfield)