Expanded Shale Clay and Slate Institute

The use of ESCS lightweight aggregate in concrete saves materials, labor and transportation costs, and improves the performance and service life of concrete. Using lightweight aggregate can lower the overall energy consumption of structures throughout their useful lives

When the increased up-front cost for lighter concretes and concrete products made with ESCS lightweight aggregate is evaluated, most often, this cost premium is more than offset by the cost savings in labor, lower dead loads, better fire resistance resulting in reduced concrete thickness and less

Lightweight concrete is more fire-resistant than ordinary normal weight concrete because of its lower thermal conductivity, lower coefficient of thermal expansion, and the inherent thermal stability of an aggregate already heated to more than 2000º F degrees.