Spotlight on Aggregate Cargo
Our prime imports are bulk materials that are used in Silicon Valley’s construction industry. Each year, the Port of Redwood City brings in millions of tons of the bulk cargo known as aggregate. Aggregate includes gravel, crushed stone, sand, recycled concrete and slag, which is a byproduct of steel construction. These raw construction materials are carried on cargo ships in bulk quantities and transported off the ships using enormous conveyer belts.
While it’s not a word we hear much in our daily lives, aggregate is used everywhere! It’s essential for building homes, offices, roads and sidewalks. Aggregate is mixed with cement, bitumen, lime, gypsum, or other adhesive to form concrete or mortar. The aggregate makes up some 60-80% of the concrete mix and can be fine or coarse, depending on the needs of the project and how strong and smooth the finished product is intended to be.