Breakthroughs
Over 70 Years of Industry Leadership
Solite® Replaces Cinders in Block
We originally developed Solite® (in 1947) to supply the concrete block market with an inert, non-staining aggregate substitute for cinder block in masonry walls.
Solite® Becomes Structural
We quickly found a growing market for Internal Curing Solite® Structural Concrete. In the ‘50s, Solite® was used to roof the House and Senate wings of the U.S. Capitol and to deck the Chesapeake Bay Bridge in Maryland.
Solite® Strengthens Soil
The same material found a geotechnical application where its angle of repose, angle of internal friction, and unit weight made it ideal for use behind retaining walls and engineered fills.
Solar Block ™
In 1982, Northeast Solite developed Solar Block™, a unique CMU, as a passive solar building application and constructed four “Proof of Concept” houses (1200 sq ft) in Roanoke, VA. Each house used less than $20 per month for heating and cooling.
Solite® Soil
In 1982, a soil blend incorporating Solite® structural and block-size aggregates was developed to enhance aeration, permeability, water retention, and balance, and to reduce dead weight and compaction. This planting mixture was placed atop Solite® Geofill in all of the flower and shrub planters throughout the Smithsonian’s National Zoo.
Solite® Water Filtration
In 1983, Northeast Solite® partnered with the Anne Arundel County Department of Health in MD, to develop a drain-field medium that would allow the effluent of septic systems to meet and exceed the requirements of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Whether used in drain-field trenching or a “3rd tank system”, Solite® proved invaluable for water filtration.
Modified Density Structural Concrete
In 2008, Northeast Solite® developed “Modified Density Concrete” for cast in place concrete structures. This new product was first used on a major parking structure in the New York City area. The course aggregate fraction of the concrete mix was evenly split between limestone and Solite® structural aggregate—producing a concrete that was neither heavyweight nor lightweight. It is an internally cured hybrid concrete which blends the best properties of both and can easily achieve the compressive strengths in excess of 10,000 psi. Additionally, it contains a high modulus of elasticity and improves fire rating and pumpability.
Solar Stud Block ™
In 2010, the Solar Stud Block™, was an innovative modification that incorporated a CMU, which when installed created a 16″ on center “stud” that eliminated the need of “furring strips” and allowed for electric wiring runs. For “Proof of Concept,” Northeast Solite® Corporation donated Solar Stud Blocks™ to Habitat for Humanity to build homes in Schenectady, NY.
HydroCure® Improves All Concrete
The need for lightweight sand-size aggregate (LWAS) is undeniable. Our product is named Hydrocure®. Adding 200 pounds (or replacing 20% of natural sand) with Hydrocure® increases concrete’s compressive strength, flexural strength, and lifestyle sustainability, while reducing chemical shrinkage, plastic shrinkage, warping, and cracking.
High-performance concrete (HPC), primarily used in tunnels, bridges, and tall buildings for its strength, durability, and high modulus of elasticity, cannot be properly optimized without internal curing concrete. Northeast Solite leads the industry in this application with Hydrocure®, our absorptive LWAS aggregate. In the 21st century, the best concrete will be internally cured.
GREENLITE™ For LEED Certification
After 100 years of growth of the cement and concrete industries, the need today is to eliminate the less desirable characteristics of low water/cement ratio heavy weight concrete. In response to present day demands for energy efficient and green structures of all types, Northeast Solite® Corporation has developed GREENLITE™ lightweight aggregate. The production process involves the use of recycled materials, and because it uses such materials as constituents, GREENLITE™ has an improved LEED classification.