We recently partnered with Geotech Structural Ltd on a challenging stabilisation project in Felton, Northumberland. With the property situated at the head of a steep slope and featuring extremely tight access, using traditional heavy stone was both impractical and risky. This project perfectly illustrates why our lightweight aggregate is the ideal solution for complex residential sites.
The project involved a property sitting right at the head of a steep, sensitive slope. The foundations required localised underpinning, but the site constraints were significant:
The project faced significant site constraints, starting with extremely tight access along both the external elevation and within the building itself, which made traditional machinery and heavy stone delivery impossible. Beyond these logistical hurdles, using standard heavy aggregate posed a serious ground risk by adding an unnecessary surcharge load to the sensitive slope, increasing the potential for failure. The only other traditional alternative extensive manual barrowing through narrow routes would have been a slow, costly process that significantly raised the safety risk for teams working so close to the slope edge.
To bypass these hurdles, our FG40 Foamed Glass Aggregate was specified as the structural fill. Because it is exceptionally lightweight and can be delivered pneumatically, we were able to provide a much more practical, low-risk solution.
Using high-pressure equipment, our team blew the material directly into the underpinning excavations and sub-floor voids via a hose. This allowed for precise placement in hard-to-reach areas with zero vibration, protecting the existing structure throughout the process.
The speed of the install speaks for itself: One of our operatives installed the required volume of material in just four hours. By choosing FGA, the project benefited from:
Reduced Load: Much lighter than stone, ensuring the slope remained stable.
Superior Drainage: The free-draining nature of foamed glass helps manage moisture around the new foundations.
Improved Insulation: Traditional Aggregate offers no insulation; Foamed Glass is a Natural insulator.
Safety & Speed: Minimal manual handling and a much faster turnaround than traditional methods.
Sustainable: Foamed Glass is made from Recycled glass
The result is a foundation stabilised quickly and safely, with a material perfectly suited to the long-term health of the site.
Watch the full project in action below to see how our pneumatic delivery system works: