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Cost effective – typically a fraction of the cost of competing fill materials
What can RGA do for you?
Recycled Glass Aggregate
SMR Recycled Glass Aggregate (RGA) is produced from residential recycled glass. RGA is used as structural and non-structural fill, drainage and filtration medium, embankment material, and pipe bedding. SMR RGA has received a Beneficial Use Determination from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, and has been approved in New Jersey and Pennsylvania for a wide variety of applications.
RGA is cost effective – typically a fraction of the cost of competing fill materials. It is a 100% recycled product, and may provide builders and developers with Green Building LEED points, as a recycled and locally-sourced product.
Examples of projects where SMR RGA has been used:
Drainage and Bedding Projects
In spring 2020, SMR delivered approximately 2500 tons of RGA aggregate backfill for a large StormTrap drainage system constructed in Avenel NJ. This underground structure manages stormwater runoff without forfeiting valuable property to detention ponds. SMR RGA aggregate meets ASTM D2321-18 Class II – Pipe Zone Embedment (backfill) for underground installation of plastic, concrete, and steel pipe or tanks. The project LSRP and engineers approved the RGA, which was installed by Pillari Brothers Construction on behalf of Duke Realty. The site will ultimately support a 185,000 SF Industrial Building. 
In the fall of 2018, SMR provided 100 tons of RGA to the DeFoe Corp for their ongoing NYC DOT construction project on the Harlem River Drive in northern Manhattan. The RGA was utilized as Type 1 Underdrain Filter Medium. 
In fall 2018, SMR provided V.A Spatz & Sons with 370 tons of RGA for use as underdrain medium in a NYSDOT lane widening project along Route 202/206 in Yorktown, NY. RGA Grain Size Analysis was performed by SESI Consulting Engineers. With sieve analyses and RGA photos, the Materials Acceptance Engineers at NYSDOT approved SMR’s RGA for use in the project. 
In 2018 and 2019, geotechnical engineers and project LSRP, Matrix New World Engineering, approved SMR RGA for this industrial improvement project at the Weeks Marine facility in Perth Amboy. The project customers were Weeks Marine and North American Aggregates. Approximately 10,000 tons of RGA were used in place of natural aggregates as pipe bed sand for a large-scale dredge conveyance tunnel. 
In January 2016, construction firm Excav Services used approximately 70 tons of SMR RGA as pipe bedding material for an extension of the water main and installation of a new hydrant at the NYC Department of Sanitation Compost Site. The RGA was approved for use by the project engineers, GHD. According to Robert Governale, President and Founder of Excav, “the glass was easy to work with and cheaper than the alternatives, plus it’s a local, recycled material.” 
In summer 2015, the NYC Department of Transportation approved SMR as a vendor for the supply of Type 1 Underdrain Filter Medium. In fall 2015, SMR’s Recycled Glass Aggregate (RGA) was tested and approved in compliance with New York State DOT Underdrain Filter Type 1 specifications. 500 cubic yards, or approximately 750 tons of RGA were stockpiled and sampled in accordance with NYSDOT standards. The material was supplied to DeFoe Corporation, prime contractor for reconstruction of the Harlem River Drive from 127th to 132nd Street, in northern Manhattan. 
Thomas Muse of Muse Design, Inc. always chooses the green alternative. In November 2010, Muse began work on the NYC MTA’s Spring Creek Bus Depot and engineered wetland. The design required 455 tons of aggregate for drainage pipe bedding and covering. Instead of quarried gravel, Muse chose to use RGA from SMR. In addition to being a local recycled product, RGA was the least expensive alternative and best material for this project. “I was looking for a high capacity material (i.e., high void space and infiltration rate), and the crushed glass from Sims Municipal Recycling was the perfect material for the application.” 
In 2011, SMR provided approximately 6,000 tons of RGA to Grace Industries to use in place of crushed stone as roadside stormwater filtration medium. RGA was stockpiled, sampled and tested at SMR’s facility, in conformance with DOT specifications. According to Ed Bessim of Grace Industries, he will continue to use RGA “because it’s a cheaper, greener alternative to under-drain stone.” 
In February 2011, Grace Industries was contracted by NYS DOT to construct 20,000 square feet of rain gardens to manage stormwater at Starlight Park in the Bronx. Grace chose to use 170 tons of SMR’s RGA in place of crushed stone for under-drain medium. Grace found that RGA was less expensive and performed better than standard under-drain stone. SMR provided stockpiling and sampling facilities in conformance with DOT requirements, and met product gradation specifications. 
Defoe Corporation was contracted by NYS DOT to reconstruct the Kew Gardens Interchange in Queens, in order to reduce traffic congestion and improve quality of life for residents in the area. In spring 2012, Defoe used 700 tons of SMR RGA as roadside stormwater filtration medium. The RGA was spread approximately 4 feet deep over a half mile section on the south side of the interchange. The development meets sustainable design and performance standards.
Fill Projects
Unique Applications
Typical RGA Sieve Analysis
SMR has the ability to stockpile large volumes of RGA for large-scale construction projects. SMR RGA typically has an LOI (loss on ignition) of 2%.
A typical RGA sieve analysis is shown below.
| Sieve Size | 1/2″ | 3/8″ | #4 | #8 | #16 | #30 | #40 | #50 | #60 | #100 | #200 |
| % Finer | 100 | 96 | 61 | 25 | 14 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 |
Project Sample Size Curves
Attached is a detailed sample size curves for glass aggregate used in a project in Jersey City, NJ.
Why Use RGA?
SMR produces and ships RGA year round. SMR has the ability to stockpile large volumes of RGA for large-scale construction projects, and regularly conducts testing programs in accordance with regulatory requirements and in support of geotechnical engineering.
RGA is often used as is. Depending on the project and geotechnical performance requirements, RGA may also be blended with other fill materials. Contractors and engineers have blended RGA in different ratios with Recycled Concrete Aggregate (RCA), dredge material, asphalt millings, “mole rock” from tunneling operations, and Dense Graded Aggregate (DGA).
RGA has naturally high void space, making it a suitable drainage stormwater management media. SMR RGA typically has an LOI (Loss on Ignition) of 1% to 3%.