Soil stabilisation is saving construction companies thousands of pounds by significantly reducing disposal and aggregate import costs. Mick George explains how it works
In many parts of the UK, large areas of land are unsuitable for construction because the soil is too wet, too cohesive or simply too weak to provide a stable base.
For many years it was common practice to remove unsuitable soil and replace it with new material. However, although this method is still very apparent, it could be considered as an increasingly costly approach and with construction companies under increasing pressure to use more sustainable construction procedures, alternative techniques are being sought.
One such solution is soil stabilisation.
Process:
Soil stabilisation is the process of adding select binders to site won soils to reduce moisture content, to enable maximum compaction, in conjunction with chemically bonding the soils to enhance strength to an equivalent or higher value than imported aggregates. This allows composite aggregate strength layers to be formed in the construction make-up, allowing disposal and aggregate import to be significantly reduced.
Typically, four processes exist:
Lime Improvement/Bulk Modification (5% CBR)
Capping Replacement Layer (15% CBR)
Sub-base Replacement Layer (30% CBR)
HBM Layer (Hydraulically Bound Material)
Project focus:
Soil stabilisation has in the past been used on many high-profile projects, including the Channel Tunnel and Heathrow Airport, with many large-scale projects in the future also planned to incorporate the service.
Environments that are prone to waterlogged working platforms, such as brownfield development, embankments, piling mats, floor slabs and access routes, are projects where soil stabilisation is often utilised.
Who:
Mick George Ltd is a leading supplier to the construction industry for a wide range of contracting disciplines. As operator of more than 10 quarries throughout the East Midlands and Anglian regions, the business is particularly well versed in supplying quality aggregates, but certainly advocates the soil stabilisation service as an alternative option.
Determined to enhance its offering in this area, the business is continuously investing. As well as welcoming a new management team that has extensive experience specifically relevant to the soil stabilisation industry, the company has also recently added to its impressive fleet of mixer and spreading machinery to facilitate a wider array of projects, tackling the most complex of landscapes.
How:
Mick George Ltd provide a range of specially formulated coarse and powder graded lime binding products that offer high water absorption and consistent purity for all soil treatments.
And for those projects where a clay base is prevalent, cement combined with their selection of Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GGBS), Pulverised Fly Ash (PFA) and recycled aggregates will provide optimal densities to offer strong load-bearing platforms, making Mick George Ltd the partner of choice for any associated works.
Please note: this is a commercial profile
Sean Feeley
Mick George
Tel: 01480 499 134
