Slab, foundation and roof assemblies
Enviro-Rock for architects
Enviro-Rock is a fill made from 100% recycled glass, and it does not burn.[1] Under a slab it drains, interrupts capillary rise and adds insulation.[2][3]
Enviro-Rock at a glance
- Loose dry bulk density
- 200 kg/m³
- Angle of friction
- 39° at 65 kPa
- Thermal resistance
- R-2.4 per inch, dry
- Up to, per B-train load
- 140 m³
From the Enviro-Rock specification table and delivery trailer sheet. Sources on the product page.
Your priorities
What you need from a supplier
01
Assembly performance
R-value, compressive resistance and drainage values for each layer the assembly relies on.
02
Fewer layers to detail
A slab or roof build-up with fewer separate materials to detail, coordinate and inspect.
03
Documentation for the specification
Fire, recycled-content and safety information, with a clear statement of what has not been published yet: no EPD and no fire test to a named standard.
What you get
What Enviro-Rock provides
01
Thermal values
A dry test value of R-2.4 per inch[4], and a design value of approximately R-2 per inch on Enviro-Rock's thermal page.[3] Moisture in service raises the conductivity of foam glass aggregate[5], so the envelope consultant sets the design value, and the authority having jurisdiction decides what it accepts for a loose fill.
02
Structural values
Confined compressive resistance of 1.01 MPa (147 psi) at 20% deformation, with 0.56 MPa at 10% and 1.67 MPa at 30%, by modified EN 1097-11.[4][6] These are index values for comparing aggregates, not allowable bearing pressures.
03
Drainage, capillary break and radon
Brochure void space of 50% loose and 30% at 20% compaction, based on worldwide averages[4], for drainage and capillary-break performance[2], and an open structure that lets soil gas reach radon collection piping.[7]
Applications
Where you are likely to use it
Application
Retaining wall backfill
Free-draining foam glass aggregate backfill for MSE, cast-in-place and segmental retaining walls, where a lighter fill means less lateral earth pressure on the wall.
Application
Load-compensating foundations
Sub-excavate heavy soil under a building and rebuild with light Enviro-Rock fill, so the clay below carries less net load and settles less, as on a six-storey Kelowna project.
Application
Under-slab insulation
One layer of foam glass aggregate under a slab on grade that insulates, drains, breaks capillary rise and gives soil gas a path to a radon system.
Application
Green roof and plaza fill
Lightweight, free-draining foam glass aggregate for green roof build-ups, deep fill over roof slabs and the base under pavers and pedestals on plazas and terraces.
Application
Basements, pools and driveways
Free-draining, insulating foam glass aggregate backfill for basement and foundation walls, swimming pools, hot tubs and heated driveways, in bulk loads or 1.7 m³ super sacks.
Questions
Common questions
How thick should Enviro-Rock be under a slab?
Thickness follows from the R-value the energy design needs and the value your authority having jurisdiction accepts for a loose aggregate. Enviro-Rock's thermal page gives a design value of approximately R-2 per inch[3], but moisture in service lowers the insulating value of foam glass aggregate[5], so the envelope consultant sets the design value and the depth.
Is there an EPD for Enviro-Rock?
No. Enviro-Rock does not have a published EPD or carbon figure. Its documented content is 100% recycled glass, collected throughout BC.[1][4]
Is it combustible?
Enviro-Rock is glass and does not burn.[1] No fire test to a named standard, such as CAN/ULC-S114, has been published for it, so check what the code path requires.
Can it serve as the radon gas-permeable layer?
Enviro-Rock is used as the gas-permeable layer in radon-control assemblies.[12] Its open-graded structure lets soil gases move freely toward collection piping or a depressurization system.[7]
Sources
- [1] Enviro-Rock cellular foam glass aggregate, Enviro-Corp Recycling
- [2] Enviro-Rock benefits: drainage and permeability, Enviro-Corp Recycling
- [3] Enviro-Rock benefits: thermal insulation, Enviro-Corp Recycling
- [4] Enviro-Rock civil infrastructure brochure (metric), specification table, Enviro-Corp Recycling
- [5] Field test comparing frost insulation materials in road construction, SINTEF and Norwegian Public Roads Administration
- [6] Enviro-Rock technical data, Enviro-Corp Recycling
- [7] Enviro-Rock benefits: radon gas, Enviro-Corp Recycling
- [8] Enviro-Rock benefits, Enviro-Corp Recycling
- [9] Enviro-Rock building construction brochure (metric), Enviro-Corp Recycling
- [10] Safety data sheet, foam glass aggregate (November 2024), United Concrete & Gravel Ltd.
- [11] Enviro-Rock samples, Enviro-Corp Recycling
- [12] Enviro-Rock applications: sub-slab, Enviro-Corp Recycling
- [13] Enviro-Rock benefits: closed-cell structure, Enviro-Corp Recycling
- [14] Applications for Foamed Glass Lightweight Aggregate, final report, Illinois Tollway Research Program, Washington State University et al., 2025
- [15] Enviro-Rock installation guide, Enviro-Corp Recycling
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