When many people consider geotechnical construction, they consider assessing ground conditions to build a major structure. However, the day to day practicalities of the field include elements such as building slurry walls. This task may lack glamor but the importance of this should not be underestimated.
Slurry Walls to Prevent Environmental Hazards:
Contaminated groundwater and soil can have a catastrophic effect on the area. If the contamination is allowed to spread the wildlife, flora and even the water table can become affected. However, one effective method by which you can impede the affected groundwater and soil from spreading is with a slurry wall. A slurry wall can constructed from a mix of cement, bentonite and water into an excavated trench. This wall can reach all the way down to the bedrock within a pre-cut keyway.The keyway is drilled into the bedrock to form a locking bond between the bedrock itself and the wall. This can effectively prevent seepage of the contaminated or controlled materials. Since the remediation of contaminated areas and soils can be extremely time consuming and costly, a slurry wall can provide an affordable and viable option.
Slurry Walls Can be Used for Soil Stabilization:
A slurry wall can also be used to provide soil stabilization on the site. Typically trenches can be dug to form a below grade slurry wall. This can stabilize the substructures and prevent erosion by directing water away from the immediate area and structures. However, geotechnical construction assessments may find it more appropriate to mix the slurry wall with backfill material. This will not be prone to the same movements of the normal soil and can help to prevent groundwater from penetrating the foundations.
It is also possible to use slurry mixes to stabilize any trench excavations. This allows the slurry mix to take on the role of trench shoring. The slurry can remain in the trench and excavated through to lower in reinforcing bars. Concrete can be pumped in to displace the slurry when the trench is ready, providing a great solution for sites with limited access, or requiring minimal disruption to the immediate surface area surrounding the trench.
Geotechnical Construction Considerations:
The primary geotechnical construction consideration has to be the mix used to form the slurry wall. In certain situations a standard mix will not be sufficient. However, should the wall requirements necessitate it, it is possible to combine environmentally safe polymers to provide additional strength or filtering or even provide chemical resistivity which is not provided in a conventional mix. If variations are used the slurry wall mix is considered to be a composite. There are a number of different materials which can be added to create a composite mix, depending on the specific geotechnical construction goal. This will need to be specified by the civil or environmental engineer on site.
If you would like to know more about the geotechnical construction considerationsfor slurry walls, contact us. We specialize in geotechnical construction and our team would be happy to answer your questions.
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