JBC Associates provided Construction Management and Construction Inspection Services on behalf of PAID (Philadelphia Authority for Industrial Development) for the Langley Avenue Reconstruction project in Philadelphia. Part of a larger comprehensive redesign of the Broad Street Gate, the $10 million project involved the reconstruction and partial realignment of the eastern portion of Langley Avenue from Broad Street to 26th Street for approximately 1 mile. The realignment culminates in a new 4‐way signalized intersection at Broad Street and League Island Boulevard, just north of the Navy Yard Main Gate. The project incorporated drainage and utility improvements, an electrical duct bank, an outflow headwall, 12” PGW gas main, streetscape items, sidewalk enhancements and other miscellaneous construction.
A unique aspect of this project was the use of foamed glass insulation for the first time during construction of a US roadway. After concerns arose regarding weak existing soil conditions and settlement of the realigned Langley Avenue, the project geotechnical engineer recommended use of a light weight fill in-lieu of a 60-day embankment quarantine period. The contractor proposed a new aggregate to meet the specifications, known as “foamed glass”, a product made entirely from recycled glass. The product, which took shape in Norway back in the 1990’s, had yet to be used in the United States, until now. With the recent opening of the manufacturer’s nearby US location, it became a perfect solution for the project’s needs.