Nearly four decades of bridges, sewer systems, underground utility lines, floor slabs, and basement walls throughout Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan owe the strength and stability of their foundations to K-Krete Controlled-Density Fill.

K-Krete is Kuhlman Corporation’s exclusive cement- and fly-ash-based custom fill that’s called “the missing link” between compacted granular fills and concrete. In the 1960s, engineers from Kuhlman Corporation and Detroit Edison developed K-Krete CDF, combining Portland cement and environmentally safe recycled pozzolanic materials to create a faster, cost-effective material for trench and foundation backfill.

The versatile, stable fill can be custom-formulated to a project’s specific needs. It starts as a semi-liquid poured from a ready-mix truck. K-Krete CDF flows smoothly in any weather and distributes itself evenly around pipes and footings. In as little as four to six hours, it hardens and is firm enough to walk and drive over.

“K-Krete CDF saves us time and labor because we don’t need to compact backfill,” says Bob Jones, Co-President of UCONCO, a longtime Kuhlman customer. “What’s also great is that we can customize its formulation to meet a project’s particular needs.”

“K-Krete CDF provides excellent results with minimal shrinkage in backfilling around pipes, conduits, sewer systems, trenches, foundation walls, floor slabs, floors, and general backfill areas,” explains Tim Casey, Sales Manager of Kuhlman’s Concrete Division. “Plus, we use it to fill abandoned underground tanks and sewers and as a structural stabilizer to reduce settlement.”

Among area customers utilizing K-Krete are:

• The Ohio and Michigan Departments of Transportation
• The cities of Toledo, Sylvania, and Maumee, Ohio
• Adrian and Monroe, Michigan
• Toledo Edison
• Columbia Gas
• UCONCO
• The Bostleman Corporation
• Comte Construction
• Lathrop Construction
• Brooks Contracting
• Dunbar Mechanical

“We’ve used K-Krete CDF successfully in numerous applications,” says Bill Franklin, Commissioner of Streets, Bridges, and Harbor for the City of Toledo. “In the long run, its labor-saving qualities make it more economical than conventional backfill for most projects.”