Deep Soil Mixing used a sustainable soil mixing solution to geotechnically improve the ground at an HS2 site near Coleshill in Warwickshire
Deep Soil Mixing was working for Land and Marine Engineering Ltd (LME) who were contracted to HS2’s enabling works contractor LM JV (Laing O’Rourke and J. Murphy & Sons).
The work was undertaken to allow access of construction equipment and to stabilise the ground for the installation of a new gas main pipe which needed to be relocated as part of the HS2 works.
The company’s soil mixing technique prevents both the removal of material off-site and the need for importing fill, which creates environmental benefits.
The technique involves analysing small samples of soil in a laboratory to determine what the soil needs to be combined with to make it suitable for re-use.
The mixing process is then carried out on the site, removing the need to take soil away and replace with new material.
Nearly 1,000 lorry movements were eliminated by using this method because there was no need to transport excavated material to landfill, and no requirement for clean hardcore material to be brought on to the site.
The project was completed in six months and included preliminary testing and site trials before work began on site.
The testing was undertaken at the company’s in-house laboratory and mixing tests carried out on various soil/binder mixes as well as field trials to test the chosen binder in-situ, to ensure the right deep soil mixing solution was undertaken at the site.
Sustainable environmental ambitions
Deep Soil Mixing Ltd director, Colin Critchlow, said: “It is fantastic to be part of the largest infrastructure project in the UK and we continued to work on this project throughout the first Covid-19 lockdown which was a huge benefit to the company.
“It was exciting to get involved in HS2, to see the environmental ambitions and standards on site and play our part in contributing to these.
“Our soil mixing technique is recycling on a massive scale, great for sustainability and great for the environment.
“Part of our R&D facility and plant depot is local to the Phase 2a route in Stafford, so it is also great that HS2 is looking to local businesses and the local people they employ and sub-contract to get involved and benefit from the project.”
