The LEED incentive on this job was to eliminate the number of light poles required by supplying a reflective sidewalk. The absence of light poles reduces the amount of energy needed to light the area but obviously lets off less light so having exposed aggregate with reflective qualities would essentially do the work of the absent light source. We needed to find a way to meet the light reflectivity spec to help reduce the need for the extra energy of added light poles.
We made several 12”x12” squares all with varying aggregate proportions and sent the samples to a testing agency in Chicago, Illinois for the reflectivity tests. The agency let us know the square that met the specs and we were able to provide the most cost-effective mix possible. The results were fantastic. It is incredible to see the ingenuity in action as we let a natural resource like limestone chips reflect a light source in a way that enables the conservation of precious energy. This job is certainly a feather in Norwalk Ready Mix’s hat.
